Lindsey Wilson College Nursing Seniors Receive Special Preparation to Become Healthcare Professionals

COLUMBIA, Ky. – Nursing senior Destiny Whitaker was reminded of the importance of a strong job interview thanks to one of her final Lindsey Wilson College classes.

Through her “Leadership in Nursing” class, Whitaker and other Lindsey Wilson nursing seniors have received valuable tips on how to interview for a job, write a sparkling cover letter and polish a resume. The seven-week class is part of the extra professional preparation Lindsey Wilson nursing students receive before graduating from the college with a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

“These experiences have helped build my confidence in applying for jobs and navigating the hiring process,” said Whitaker, who is from Somerset, Kentucky. “One thing that surprised me was how much the mock interview felt like a real job interview – it really helped me get comfortable with answering tough questions and presenting myself professionally.”

Lindsey Wilson Director of Career Services Annissa Koekemoer said that’s exactly the purpose of mock interviews – to simulate an actual job interview that prepares students “to put their best foot forward with prospective employers.”

“The employer will only have as much confidence in them as they exhibit themselves,” said Koekemoer, who conducts the mock interviews for the nursing students. “If students don’t verbalize their confidence during an interview, the employers won’t have confidence in them.”

The program’s unique approach to preparing students for the job market with a seven-week class focused on sharpening job skills is a big reason that Lindsey Wilson nursing graduates have a 100% employment rate, according to Director of Nursing Dr. Emiley Button.

“Our students receive an excellent nursing education, and our ‘Leadership in Nursing’ class gives them an even greater advantage when it is time to apply for a job,” said Button. “Because of this class, our students know how to sell themselves, dress for an interview and how to interact with a prospective employer.”

That was a big message delivered to students by Linda McKinley Grider, a member of the college’s business faculty and director of the Lindsey Wilson Center for Entrepreneurship. For the last eight years, Grider has worked with students in the “Leadership in Nursing” course by teaching them how to “talk about yourself with confidence.”

“It’s hard to talk about yourself,” Grider told the students during a class presentation. “But you might be asked in your interview, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ because we now look at behaviors when we hire someone.”

Grider, who has more than two decades of experience in human resources, reminded the students that “you’re going to get a job, and it’s going to be a good job when you graduate from Lindsey Wilson.”

But as the nursing seniors pointed out, they want more than a job when they graduate this spring from Lindsey Wilson. Nursing senior Emilee Flatt of Columbia said receiving advice from experts such as Grider and Koekemoer have helped her discern the kind of organization she wants to work for as a healthcare professional.

“The nursing program has equipped me with detailed education about how to apply for the career one desires and proper interview etiquette,” said Flatt. “Not only this, but the program offers a course that presents leadership criteria, including how to find the right environment for you and how to grow in your position as a nurse.”

The seniors also heard from recent Lindsey Wilson nursing graduates, whose insights helped them appreciate what to expect during their first year as a nurse.

“The program has facilitated interactions with a graduate panel from the previous year, providing a platform for discussing their experiences in securing employment, as well as navigating the application and interview processes,” said Savannah Gray of Jamestown, Kentucky. “These experiences have proven instrumental in shaping my understanding of what to expect when seeking employment and applying for positions.”

Later this spring, the Lindsey Wilson career services office will sponsor a career fair, where the nursing seniors will get to apply the skills they learned in the course.

“We want our students to be successful both as nurses and as leaders in healthcare,” said Button. “When I’m out in the community and someone tells me that they interacted with either one of our students or a recent graduate and had a really good experience working with them, it gives me a tremendous sense of pride because that tells me that this program is making a big impact in the communities it serves.”

Or as senior Jenna Wood observed, the seven-week course made her feel “a hundred times more confident” about entering the healthcare community.

“I can say that without a shadow of a doubt, after sitting in on this presentation and completing a professional portfolio that requires both a cover letter and resume, I feel a hundred times more confident in my resume and cover letter, as well as applying for nursing positions,” said Wood, who is from Somerset. “I feel that I have gained the insight needed to leave a good impression on my future employer, as well as highlight all the hard work that I have put into obtaining this career.”

Pictured: Lindsey Wilson College nursing alumna, from left, Kayla Young, Autumn Graham and Aleigha Nelson speak to students in “Leadership in Nursing” class about their professional experiences.