Nursing BSN-IH Clarissa Padilla

Nursing BSN-IH profile: Clarissa Padilla

 

By Gawain Douglas, UArizona Health Sciences Office of Communications

 

Clarissa Padilla, a University of Arizona College of Nursing student in the Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing – Integrative Health program in Gilbert, Arizona, is about to realize her childhood dream of becoming a nurse after the spring convocation on May 9.

 

Clarissa grew up in Hayward, California, and chose the UArizona College of Nursing to pursue her dream because of the college’s reputation, long history and program outcomes. The BSN-IH program has not only prepared her for a nursing career but has also helped her set her sights on the additional career goals of becoming a nurse practitioner and a nursing educator.

 

Clarissa recently answered some questions about her time at the College of Nursing.

 

What led you to pursue a career in nursing?

 

As a child, I was exposed to the medical field through my mom’s career in pediatric nutrition. She would take me to work and I would see the nurses caring for their patients. Observing their selflessness, compassion and how patients rely on them for care made me realize at an early age that this is my calling and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people during their time of need. One memory I have of that time is when I was 6 years old, and I met nurse Amanda in the nursery. Nurse Amanda let me watch her do a newborn assessment through the glass window. Whenever I would see nurse Amanda, we would talk about her job, and she would tell me that I would make a great nurse one day.

 

Why did you choose the UArizona College of Nursing to pursue your studies?

 

I chose the University of Arizona College of Nursing because of its stellar reputation and its 67 years of educating professional nurses. I feel the university’s program outcomes are impactful and I want to be a nurse with these skills and qualities so that I can make an impact in my community. Being in the BSN-IH program has not only helped me enter the workforce as a nurse but also helped me continue to advance my career in higher education because I want to be a nurse practitioner and nursing educator. Coming from a diverse background and being a Latina/Mexican American woman, I like the fact that the university is so in tune with inclusivity and diversity, which are very important aspects to me as a health care provider.

 

What’s your biggest takeaway from your time in the BSN-IH program?

 

My biggest takeaway is the community and support system on the Gilbert campus. Throughout this challenging program, you are never alone. You are always in a group at clinicals, a pair during simulations and as a whole cohort during lectures and exams. The College of Nursing faculty make themselves available for support, guidance and mentorship. A lot of thought was put into creating a comfortable home environment on campus for us. I spent a lot of hours on campus with my cohort studying, socializing and working in the simulation lab. The Gilbert campus became my home away from home, both physically and emotionally. I can honestly say that I looked forward to going to school and enjoyed my time there.

 

What do you remember as the biggest challenge for you in the program?

 

The biggest challenge for me, which I am sure a lot of Gilbert students can relate to, is leaving the main campus in Tucson and moving to Gilbert to follow our nursing education. Leaving my friends, my sorority and my life at the Tucson campus was an emotional challenge. I had to make the choice of being a college student or a nursing student and leave my comfort zone. Reflecting on my decision to accept admission to the BSN-IH program in Gilbert, I now know it was the best thing I could have done. Gilbert provided me with a close-knit community of students, faculty and staff. The setting in Gilbert fostered a productive environment, enabling me to maintain focus and thrive within the program.

 

Do you have any advice for students following in your footsteps?

 

My advice is to think of yourself as not just a college student but as a nursing student. This means prioritizing and dedicating your efforts 100% to succeeding in the program to become a nurse. This is a very rigorous program and I would advise against doing it alone. I highly encourage students to engage in collaboration with other students and seek guidance and support from their nursing professors and staff. Finding an emotional support system within the cohort will help students during difficult and demanding moments, as our family and non-nursing friends do not understand the stress and challenges that we are under as nursing students. I now see my nursing cohort as not just classmates but as family who have made this a memorable journey. 

 

What does it mean to you to be a Wildcat nurse?

 

Being a Wildcat nurse is a dream come true. I wanted this since I was 12 years old and when I saw my first Wildcat nursing student. It also means representing the University of Arizona as a nurse with dedication, empathy and integrity for those whom I serve. As a Wildcat nurse, I will have compassion and understanding of the health disparities faced by my patients and care for them and their families with dignity and respect. I am aware that being a nurse can be stressful and demanding at times. As a Wildcat nurse, you must also have traits of courage and resilience to provide the utmost care with confidence for patients. As I complete this program, I know that the university has prepared me to be this type of nurse and I will always be proud to be a Wildcat nurse.

 

What are your post-graduation plans?

 

I have accepted a position as an ER/observation nurse at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix once I obtain my registered nurse license. After a few years of nursing experience, I hope to become a labor and delivery or pediatric nurse and further my nursing education by enrolling in a DNP program to become a nurse practitioner. My time as a student worker in the simulation lab has ignited aspirations of becoming a nursing educator, hopefully back at the College of Nursing. 

 

 

By Kristen Cook, UArizona Health Sciences Office of Communications

It was a great showing for the University of Arizona College of Nursing at this year’s Western Institute of Nursing Conference.

Faculty and students were honored, with 24 students presenting at the annual event held in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 17-20.

Ruth Taylor-Piliae, PhD, RN, a professor and interim PhD program director, and Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, an assistant clinical professor, were inducted into the Western Academy of Nurses, which recognizes and honors nurses who have been actively engaged in WIN and have demonstrated excellence in all aspects of nursing, from research to practice and education.

Deidre Chase, a PhD student, received the Ann M. Voda American Indian/Alaska Native/First Nation Conference Award.

“I am exceptionally proud of both Drs. Taylor-Piliae and Godfrey for their inductions,” said Dean Brian Ahn, PhD. “Their work is a shining example of the faculty here at the UArizona College of Nursing. I am also pleased that our nursing students – including Deidre Chase – have been recognized for their hard work in the classroom and community.”

More than half of the UArizona College of Nursing’s PhD students presented at the conference. One honors undergraduate student and one student with the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program also presented.

“I am incredibly proud of our 22 PhD students who presented their research,” Taylor-Piliae said. “It was gratifying to witness their growth in knowledge during the 2023-24 academic year and then disseminate this knowledge to advance nursing science and improve health outcomes.” 

 

New and emerging nursing knowledge is shared at WIN’s annual conference. It’s one of four regional nursing research organizations in the United States whose members include individual researchers, clinicians, educators, students, academic institutions and health care organizations. According to its website, WIN’s mission is to improve the health of the public through visionary leadership in nursing research, practice and education.

Godfrey, who has been a WIN member since 2000, said she’s learned so much from incredible leaders and has formed many meaningful relationships with other like-minded scholars thanks to the organization.

“I hope to share the experience I’ve had in WIN with the students I teach and mentor,” she said.

Taylor-Piliae has been a member of WIN for 21 years and said it was an honor to be inducted into the Western Academy of Nursing.

“I am grateful for all of the opportunities that come with being a WAN member, enabling me to contribute my nursing leadership expertise to support the nursing profession and, in particular, to provide mentorship, guidance and support to our PhD nursing students and early career nurse scientists so that they achieve their research and career goals,” she said.

The University of Arizona College of Nursing has nearly doubled the number of pre-licensure students it has onboarded over the last four years, an impressive response to the state and national nursing shortage. In fiscal 2020, the College enrolled 283 new pre-licensure students and is projected to enroll close to 550 this year.  This unprecedented growth is just the beginning as the college plans to surpass 1,000 enrollees by fiscal year 2030.

The increase stems from the strategic plan to aggressively grow pre-licensure programs in both Gilbert and Tucson. The college launched the Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Integrative Health at the Gilbert campus in 2019 with the capacity for 24 students per semester. The program now enrolls about 216 students per year. At the same time, the college’s Master of Science in Nursing – Entry to the Profession of Nursing program has grown from about 130 students a year in 2019 to 288 students in 2024.

In 2023, the college received a $9.2 million grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services to go towards addressing the state’s nursing shortage. With those funds, the college created 158 scholarships to cover the cost of tuition and fees for students completing the college’s MS-MEPN program.

“Master's level education strengthens the workforce by enabling nurses to lead health-care teams to improve patient and population health outcomes in the state of Arizona,” said Connie Miller, DNP, RNC-OB, CNE, a clinical professor and the principal investigator for the ADHS grant. “These nurse-leaders will provide excellent, evidence-based nursing care and potentially use their graduate education as future faculty members to teach the next generation of nurses.”

Historically, the College of Nursing has received far more applications than the number of new student openings. However, with the significant growth of the nursing programs, the college is now more actively recruiting students to keep the pipeline of new nurses flowing into the expanded program capacity.

“We work very hard to proactively recruit new students to fill the larger cohorts,” said Jill Hagaman, director of student and academic affairs at the College of Nursing. “A very popular new program we have launched to recruit nursing students is a guaranteed admission for UArizona graduates with bachelor’s degrees in health sciences fields if they meet GPA requirements.”

Hagaman estimates that about 60% of the college’s enrollment growth has been in Gilbert with the remaining 40% in Tucson. She said they have also increased enrollment in the Tucson BSN program by about 20 students a year.