BUCKHANNON – For three aspiring nurses in Buckhannon, the path to a healthcare career is paved with family legacies, personal experiences and a deep connection to their local community.
Hailey Pugh, Emily Tackett and Madisyn McDaniel – students at West Virginia Wesleyan College and Davis & Elkins College – have each found their calling in nursing through distinct journeys. Now, as the first recipients of the new Aspiring Nurses Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital, they’re turning their inspirations into action, with a $25,000 scholarship supporting their dreams of healing at home.
The Aspiring Nurses Program was created as a partnership between hospitals within the WVU Health System and students at schools of nursing throughout the Mountain State, according to a press release from WVU Medicine. The three local recipients will receive $25,000 over the next two years to help with life expenses and tuition. They will also be paired with a WVU Medicine liaison to mentor them throughout nursing school and assist in their transition to a new RN.
The nursing students who earned the three slots were recognized Sept. 30 during a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where they will find employment upon completion of nursing school.
Hailey Pugh, a junior at West Virginia Wesleyan College, said she was immediately interested in the program because she wanted to join the WVU Medicine team when she graduated.
“They’re a growing presence in our state and a big part of our state’s healthcare,” Pugh said. “I’ve always been a person who wanted to fix all the boo-boos in everyone’s life, and I think that’s what has pushed me to be where I am today. I look up to the healthcare professionals I work with. I adore them, and I want to be just like them one day.”
Emily Tackett, a junior at West Virginia Wesleyan College, said she was inspired by her grandmother to join the nursing field and work at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“My grandmother has MS, so she’s able to get her medication here, and they’ve always taken great care of not only me, but my family as well,” Tackett said. “My grandmother was an in-home care nurse, and I got to hear about how she took care of people; it made me want to help people.”
Madisyn McDaniel, a senior at Davis & Elkins College, said the program will help her finish school and get started on her dream job.
“Since I’m a parent of two kids, sometimes the expenses can become a lot, and the Aspiring Nurses Program will help bring my goal to a reality so that I can accomplish my dream,” McDaniel said. “Other people in my ancestry have been nurses, and it’s something that I’ve always been around growing up. I really like it; I feel comfortable with it, honestly. I like that St. Joseph’s is a small hospital, and I like the sense of family here.”
Eric Small, Manager of Nursing Program Development for WVU Medicine, said he was speaking on behalf of Melanie Heuston, chief nurse executive for The West Virginia University Health System.
“This program has really been one of the embodiments of WVU Medicine’s mission to improve the health of West Virginians by investing in an essential element of healthcare delivery,” Small said. “Melanie and other members of the Center for Nursing Excellence — and other leaders at the system level — spent time talking with our academic partners across the state, like West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis and Elkins, as well as many, many others. They asked a lot of questions, but one of the questions they asked, and what led to the development of this program, is what is the barrier that keeps an otherwise successful student from completing their degree?”
Small said there were many answers to that question, but the most prominent was the expense.
“The reality is that so many of our students are on a razor’s edge when it comes to financial stability,” Small said. “The ability to handle an unexpected expense or even a small change in income and still focus on the work that’s required to finish nursing school, which very difficult program, is a very hard challenge.”
He congratulated the students on earning their spots in the program.
“Haley, Emily and Madisyn, we are so thrilled that you all are joining us today, and for your early nursing career,” Small said. “You are in your first steps on an exciting, challenging journey that will lead you to an amazing, rewarding, fulfilling career in nursing. We’re so excited you’ll be joining our ranks to care for the people of our wonderful state and wherever your career may take you in the future.”
Stephanie Smart, the Interim Vice President of Nursing for WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital, said the selection process for the Aspiring Nurses Program was rigorous.
“The spots for selection into this program are limited, and not everyone who applies receives the OK to become an aspiring nurse, so it’s really a big accomplishment for them to be chosen,” Smart said. “This program is about trying to make sure our students are successful, and they become registered, professional nurses. We need nurses now more than ever; there’s probably no one in this room that is not aware of that.”
Smart said there was a nursing crisis before COVID, but the pandemic accelerated that problem.
“Our patients were sicker than they used to be,” Smart said. “We had a lot of nurses retire early; we had a lot of students who changed their minds and decided to go down a different path. Kudos to these students sitting up here for making that decision in light of everything that has happened and making a choice to be a part of healthcare in a time where they’re really, really needed.”
