Maria C. Jordan, MSN, RN, Professor of Practice
“As a GMercyU Nursing faculty member since 2014, I am forever reminded of the difference that Mercy nurses make with their clients in inpatient hospital settings, the community, and the world. My colleagues and I are ‘nurses first’ in our teaching pedagogy. We tightly connect the classroom with the clinical setting. Each lesson is an opportunity for application, for refining the skills needed for excellence in nursing practice. Our students are also blessed with the Griffin values of Integrity, Respect, Service, and Social Justice heavily sprinkled throughout their program, shaping the relationships our nurses build with their clients.
I experience intense pride and purpose in watching our students grow into competent, caring, and confident nurses – nurses you want to care for your oved ones – nurses who will advocate for their clients – nurses who take the time (when there is not time) to build a trusting relationship with clients and families – nurses who demonstrate initiative, even when no one is looking – nurses who are culturally sensitive and inclusive in approach. I treasure when our Mercy nurses keep in touch after graduation about their nursing experiences and accomplishments, ever grateful for the Mercy shown to them at GMercyU as they ‘pay it back and then some’ to the clients they serve.”
Velia McCabe, MSN, RN, Professor Emerita
“Students who have decided to enter a career path in Nursing have been called to this mission of service. The goals, philosophy and mission of Nursing align directly with the goals, mission and philosophy of Sisters of Mercy/Gwynedd Mercy University. Faculty and staff who have chosen to work at Gwynedd have done so because of their dedication to service others.
I have witnessed that those who participated in a Mission Service trip, specifically the Dominican Republic Experience, have demonstrated their desire to help all in our society. Their gifts extend beyond Nursing.”
Dona Molyneaux, PhD, CNE, RN, Professor, Assistant Dean of Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions
“As a longtime GMercyU Nursing faculty member, why do you believe Mercy nurses make a difference?
I don't think I would be teaching here if I did not believe that a Mercy nurse makes a difference. Each mercy nursing student learns about Catherine McAuley and the sisters of mercy. Students are expected to carry out the Mercy Charism and provide person-centered care to each and every patient. Every nurse is educated to care for the biophysical needs of patients- hygiene, nutrition, elimination, and medications. The education that a mercy nurse receives calls on each mercy nurse to not only care for those physiological needs of patients, but to care for the whole person — mind, body and soul. A Mercy nurse Recognizes the humanness of each patient they serve — they connect with the patients and treat them with respect and dignity- seeing the person who they are and who they can become without judgement. The quality care a Mercy Nurse provides increases the patient's self-worth, and ensures a safe, caring and compassionate environment.
Given two equally qualified nurses, it is the Mercy Nurse who makes the difference every time.”
Tricia O’Hara, RN, PhD, Professor of Nursing and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Students, Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing & Health Professions
“I have been a professor of Nursing at Gwynedd Mercy College/University for 21 years. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity and experience.
In this position, I have had many opportunities to visit our clinical sites and see our graduates ‘in action’ as registered nurses. Many of our clinical sites always comment to me on how much they love Gwynedd nurses! They are their number one preferred hire due to their commitment, compassion, and collaboration.
I believe the reason for this is that Gwynedd Mercy University fuels compassion and empathy. Students learn not only how to care for others, but themselves and society. All Gwynedd students learn about the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy as well as Gwynedd’s Core Values of Integrity in Word and Deed, Respect for the Dignity of Each Person, Service to Society, and Social Justice in a Diverse World.
In the School of Nursing, they learn to acknowledge patients’ comments with understanding. They learn to ask how health concerns are affecting a patient’s life and they demonstrate dedication to not only their patients, but to their profession and their communities. In our Gwynedd Mercy Nursing Vision Statement, we state that the ‘nurse will exemplify the core ideals of the Sisters of Mercy prepared to influence health at the local, state, and global levels in diverse and innovative settings with culturally diverse population.’
‘A Mercy nurse is moral/ethical, caring, and competent.’
I am proud to have completed my BSN at Gwynedd Mercy and feel privilege to ‘pay it forward’ to my students, emphasizing the competence, critical thinking skills, concern for human dignity, communication skills, and the values of caring and compassion that I learned as a Distinctive Mercy Graduate.”
The following thoughts on nursing were originally posted in 2020-2023.
Alumni
Allison Alejo '20
Nurse Assistant, Abington-Jefferson Hospital
"My mentors and professors reminded me and my classmates that we were not studying to earn a paycheck or to be at the top of the class. Rather, we were preparing to to be the caregivers that keep our patients safe and not only assist in healing their medical ailments, but to demonstrate compassion as we collaborate in restoring our patients spiritual and mental needs."
Nia Andrews '19
ER Nurse, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital & Thomas Jefferson Hospital
"I think being a young, African-American female nurse, especially within the inner city, is what keeps me going — just seeing firsthand how my voice can truly impact others, and I can approach them in a way that is tangible and allows people to then get a better grasp of their own personal health. People come to you in the ER in their most vulnerable states, and I think it's a genuine honor to be able to see people in that light and give them compassion, and then see that either rewarded through a conversation or physically see the improvement of a patient.
So, that makes it all worthwhile and kind of keeps me coming back, because some days are definitely tough."
Steve Bocchese ‘09, ‘11
Vascular Surgery Nurse Practitioner, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
"The core values of the Sisters of Mercy are present in my work as a nurse. Nurses care for patients holistically, including their spiritual needs. Nurses work as a team. Building a community among nurses is important for us and others. If I took one value away from GMercyU, it was service. I have shaped my career on serving others as a nurse. And finally, social justice is rooted in my practice. We care for the 'tired, poor, and huddled masses' without judgment because it is our duty and our vocation."
Chelsea Briggs '21
Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery
"I decided to be a nurse because I knew it gave me the opportunity to create that atmosphere for my patients and their families where they feel safe, informed, and can maintain their dignity and properly heal their mind, body, and soul. You hold the cards as a nurse, and despite how scary and dark the last two [pandemic] years were, that doesn't define the day — you will, the experiences you will have, or the type of environment you will have. You create the space you want, and you create the type of nurse you are."
Sam Brown '20
Cardiac Intermediate/MedSurge Nurse, Cooper University Hospital
"Mercy-centered education has provided me with a great deal of compassion, empathy, and drive to work with underserved communities. I am lucky to work in Camden where I see a melting pot of people. Sometimes we are the first medical people they have seen in years, so we have huge impacts on their health. My education has also given me a lot of strength to persevere through the struggles I have faced as a nurse. It taught me to know that no matter how exhausting, all the good we are putting into the world is making us stronger people."
Aubrey Cook '17, '18
Registered Nurse, Thomas Jefferson Hospital
2023 Recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
"As a GMercyU nursing student, I was always taught by my professors to go into every shift and every patient care experience with Mercy. You learn about compassion for patients and therapeutic communication with patients. Throughout my years as a nurse in the professional setting, I have learned that you also need to have compassion for yourself and therapeutic communication with your colleagues and yourself. Take time to take care of you."
Melissa Fitzpatrick ‘77, ‘79
President, Kirby Bates Associates
"Being a nurse now requires not only all of the competencies and compassion that it always has, but also the ability to manage all of the societal impacts of violence, social disparity, politics, and most recently, the criminalization of making an error. Nursing is at the closest possible interface with communities and society, and is the recipient of all of the good and the bad that it brings."
Melissa Ojemeni '04, '06
Director of Nursing Education, Research and Professional Development, Partners In Health
"Nursing has truly been a gateway for me, providing not only financial stability, credibility in my global health work by bringing a tangible skill set, but also versatility to explore and try different career pathways, from clinical bedside nursing to teaching and now administration and research."
Lauren Mitros ‘18
Travel Nurse
"When you are young and people ask you what you want to be when you grow up, I always said 'nurse.' That never changed once I grew up and actually started thinking about my career and life goals. I enjoy learning new things, and medicine is a great place for that. The things we can do as healthcare providers when someone’s life needs to be saved are truly amazing. We are all on this earth for a reason, and I believe one of my reasons was to be a nurse."
Christy Piotrowski ‘17
Surgical Intensive Care Nurse, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
"My Mercy-centered education was a huge advantage in my career and absolutely made a difference for how I approach the world of healthcare. The pandemic certainly was not merciful in some waves, but my strong educational foundation allowed me to persevere when medicine was not enough."
Dana Rose '20
Intensive Care Nurse, Mainline Health
"I think my experiences [during the pandemic] have helped shape the nurse I am today. Seeing the way staff came together during those times and the resilience and strength we all had definitely rekindled the spark I had to pursue nursing."
Maria Sansom ‘19
Travel Nurse
"I wanted to become a nurse because I loved the idea of holistic care and caring for someone mentally, physically, and emotionally. As a nurse, we can connect with people in such a unique and beautiful way, while also having the nursing skills and critical thinking to keep each patient safe."
Kohler Setley '21
Med-Surg/Telemetry Unit Nurse, Reading Hospital
"All of the groundwork that GMercyU laid out for me helped me build my budding nursing career into something with a lot of promise."
Madison Taylor '21
Nurse Resident, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
"We all work and support each other regardless of age, years of experience, etc., because our patients are our priority...I am still learning every single day."
Stephanie Wroten ‘19
Ann Marie Welsh, MSN, RN, CPN