VERMILLION, S.D.—While the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota has a rich history of producing the state's physicians, the nursing baccalaureate program was recently established in 2012. The four-year 120 credit curriculum prepares students for initial licensure as registered nurses.
The relatively new program has attracted several student-athletes to South Dakota to receive their bachelor of science in nursing. Among them are a trio of women's cross country runners in junior
Brooklynn Hodges, junior
Rachael Zeiger and sophomore
Madeline Huglen.
"I looked all over the country for opportunities," Zeiger, a transfer from Gillette College, said. "Vermillion is unique because there's a lot of hospitals in this area with a lot of variation in the types of opportunities. Other states, such as back home in Montana, you have to be willing to drive several hours to go to between hospitals."
Each of the athletes will be a semester apart in the program, with Hodges currently enrolled in the first semester. Zeiger will join her in the spring, while Huglen will be applicable in the fall.
To be admitted into the program, a nursing major must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.7 in all prerequisite courses, pass the HESI admissions exam with a score above 80 percent, provide three reference letters, get vaccinated, and complete the application in time. Students are initially enrolled to USD as pre-nursing majors until they have completed the prerequisites to enter the program.
"The program is rapidly expanding right now," Hodges said. "One of my favorite things about USD and its program is the simulation area. We have all of these mannequins and it provides us real life training. It's a pretty cool area."
As Hodges described, the Nursing Center for Simulation and Interprofessional Education provides diverse simulation experiences to teach clinical reasoning, technical skills, communication and interdisciplinary collaboration. There are three simulation rooms which replicate a hospital environment that are adjacent to observation and debriefing rooms.
The nursing program also provides real patient clinicals to learn at area hospitals including Sanford Medical Center, Avera McKennan Hospital and the University Center.
"A lot of information has been thrown at us all at once," Hodges said of the first few weeks of classes. "The instructors keep telling us that while we may not be able to do everything right away, we will get the hang of it eventually. It's fun, actually, to be able to practice what you have been learning in a textbook. We had lab today and the four hours flew by because we were doing all of the routines that we would be doing in the field down in the simulation lab."
A nursing degree allows a variety of specializations with examples such as nurse practitioners, nephrology nursing or psychiatric nursing. Additional expansions include further studies such as physician's assistant programs.
"I have not yet decided on a specialization," said Hodges. "Between watching different nurses during clinicals and trying different areas, the next two years should help me decide which route I want to take by seeing what each jobs' duties entail."
The Coyotes open the 2016 cross country season with the Augustana Twilight at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., at 8 p.m. Friday.
Both Hodges and Zeiger competed at the meet in 2014, with Hodges in a Coyote uniform while Zeiger was competing in her first collegiate race for Gillette. The Coyote women were victorious at the meet in 2014, while the USD men finished runner-up to Nebraska.
"I love this meet," Hodges said. "It is incredibly crowded and it's hard to run your best race, but at the same time it is fun to be surrounded by so many athletes and fans while racing at night. It's a completely different atmosphere than most of our other races."
"I am really excited," Zeiger said. "The mentality is completely different from two years ago, focusing on leading the race instead of trying to sit in the middle of the pack, but it's cool to see the difference."
