From Clinicals to Chapel: Catherine Cui’s Holistic Nursing Education at Jessup
Pursuing a Nursing degree takes dedication, focus and a genuine passion for helping others. The rigorous courses and clinical hours that Jessup University’s nursing students must complete is a clear indication that in order to graduate it takes persistence and a heart-felt desire to pursue a vital role in the healthcare field, which is exactly what Catherine Cui exhibited to become part of Jessup’s first graduating nursing cohort.
Moving from China to sunny Northern California in 2017, Catherine Cui, first-generation college student, expresses her sincere gratitude to her husband and daughter for supporting her as she devoted so much of her time and energy to Jessup’s nursing program. “Graduating is an honor, not only for me, but for my family, because without them I couldn’t have made it,” Catherine tearfully expresses.
The hard work doesn’t stop once graduation happens, as recent nursing graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) in order to officially begin their career. “I study every day to prepare for that,” Catherine said just days before her graduation. Now, Catherine has taken and passed the exam, making her an official RN and she is looking ahead to her dream career in mental health nursing.
After gaining hands-on experience at Mule Creek State Prison, Catherine realized her passion for mental healthcare. “I want to pursue a career as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. At the prison, they have group therapy that teaches the inmates how to treat and prevent their illnesses, as well as how to practice self-care. I think that really helps them,” Catherine explains.
Jessup’s nursing students get hands-on experience inside and outside of the classroom. Catherine details her experiences, “we went to different hospitals and departments such as surgical units, ICU, pediatrics, OB,” just to name a few. She also mentions the importance of the on-campus facilities, including the simulation lab where she expressed a sense of freedom to practice what she had learned with confidence because her professors were there to guide and encourage her.
What undoubtedly sets Jessup’s nursing program apart from others is the Christ-centered approach, which Catherine says was vital to helping her succeed in the program. She explains, “When I attend chapel I feel relaxed and refreshed… It’s a long day of classes but when I go to chapel I get all of my energy back. And we pray all of the time in every single class. We pray for ourselves and for our professors. That helped me make it through the program.”
As the first graduating cohort, there is so much excitement built around this group of nursing students, but this is only the beginning. As the program continues to grow, Catherine says she is excited to see how it evolves for the next group of students. While she is excited to be part of the first graduating cohort, she also explains, “I feel a lot of responsibility because we need to be a good example for the next group of students and build a great culture for them to continue. It’s not all on the professors, but we also play a part in building this program and we want to make it better for the next cohort.”
There is no doubt that Catherine, along with her classmates, have worked hard to reach this amazing accomplishment of graduation and the entire Jessup community is cheering them on as they begin a meaningful career in nursing.
To learn more about Jessup University’s nursing program, please visit jessup.edu/academics/majors-programs/undergrad/nursing/ or email us at admissions@jessup.edu.
