UMW Nursing Program Helps Meet Critical Need

Abigail Zimmerman has done her part to help curb COVID. The University of Mary Washington senior vaccinated dozens of Fredericksburg area residents as a hospital volunteer this spring.

“It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” said Zimmerman, a UMW nursing student. “I know I’m in the right place, positively impacting the lives of people around me.”

In the midst of a global pandemic and critical nursing shortage, her chosen profession is needed now more than ever. Three pathways, offered by UMW in conjunction with community partners, are helping aspiring nurses answer that call. One of these tracks even gives students like Zimmerman the chance to live on campus, while gaining clinical experience and completing coursework infused with the liberal arts and uniquely designed to inform their careers.

The pandemic changed how society views nurses, said UMW Director of Nursing Janet Atarthi-Dugan, who oversees all three pathways, made possible through agreements with Germanna Community College (GCC) and Mary Washington Healthcare (MWH). The tracks, formed in 2015, also include a BSN completion program for current registered nurses and one that provides a seamless transition for community college students planning to transfer to Mary Washington.

“Nursing is not solely about compassion and holding hands,” Atarthi-Dugan said. “Today’s nurses are working collaboratively with physicians while managing acutely ill patients. They need to be educated and prepared for rapidly changing patient statuses.”

Mary Jane Bowles, who coordinates MWH’s New Graduate Residency Program, described the partnership as a “visionary community collaboration.” Paired with the Germanna nursing program, “UMW’s BSN degree is a win for students, as it’s one of the best nursing programs in the state,” she said. “The combination positions UMW graduates for leadership after graduation.”

MWH Chief Nursing Officer Eileen Dohmann agrees. Students who complete this program, she said, are better prepared for the critical and complex decisions they face every day. Nearly two-thirds of MWH nurses already have a BSN, Dohmann added. Another 15 percent are in the process of earning one.

UMW students take courses like anatomy and physiology, but what really sets the program apart is a healthy dose of the liberal arts. Classes like Medical Ethics, Writing Studies and Healing, and Death and Society prepare novice nurses to tackle complex medical issues and improve patient outcomes, Atarthi-Dugan said.

“As a nurse, it’s inevitable you’ll lose patients,” Zimmerman said. “Learning about death as a natural process forced me to think about how I would handle these situations.”

The track she’s completing, called the “1+2+1 program,” lets students spend their freshman year fulfilling prerequisites at UMW and GCC. During years two and three, they complete the RN degree and clinical experiences at Germanna – while paying community college tuition costs – before finishing BSN degree requirements at Mary Washington. Most UMW nursing classes are online, so many students also work at local hospitals during their final year.

In addition, UMW provides opportunities for students beyond what they’d find in traditional nursing programs. Lyka Ante ’20 studied abroad, treating underserved communities in Panama and Peru. Zimmerman played all four years on the UMW women’s soccer team.

Now a postpartum nurse with INOVA Health System, Lyka Ante ’20 spent a semester in Peru, working at a government-run clinic caring for infants. Photo courtesy of Lyka Ante.

Roommates Katherine Brady and Abigail Zimmerman dressed in their scrubs for the first time. UMW nursing students in the 1+2+1 program live together as a cohort on the UMW campus and complete an RN degree and clinicals at Germanna, in addition to their BSN coursework through Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Abigail Zimmerman.

Lyka Ante ’20 (second from right) and Erica Frey ’20 (second from left) spent a semester in Peru, honing the skills they now use as postpartum nurses at INOVA Health System. “Working alongside Peruvian nurses and living with a host family helped me break down language barriers and build deeper connections with my patients and their families,” Ante said. Photo courtesy of Lyka Ante.

The pandemic hampered some activities like clinical experiences, Atarthi-Dugan said, but nursing students contributed however they could. Sophomore Aubrey Guerra, for example, tracked COVID cases at the University. “People who show symptoms are scared,” she said. “It was our job to make them feel comfortable, safe and informed.”

With the current need for nurses, UMW grads land jobs at MWH, Inova Health System, Sentara Healthcare and beyond.

After working full-time at Stafford Hospital her senior year, Rileigh Ecker ’21 became a pediatric psychology nurse at VCU Children’s Hospital in Richmond. It’s a path she wouldn’t have considered without the liberal arts courses she took at Mary Washington.

“I’m so grateful for UMW and the doors it opened for me,” Ecker said. “Besides my education, the independence and courage I found there prepared me for my first year of nursing during a global pandemic.”