By Fatima Magana '22

ALLIANCE- You probably heard the phrase “The best nurses wear purple” if you have been around a Mount Union nurse. That phrase is true. Our top ranked nursing program prepares Purple Raider nurses to step out into the field with compassion.

“I love science and being in the medical field allows you to be involved and learn about new treatments every day,” said Olivia Whitacre ’23, BSN, RN. “I chose nursing because I want to make a difference in peoples’ lives showing them kindness.”

Whitacre (Third from left) with friends

Olivia is just one of the many nurses who leave Mount Union with the goal of leaving their mark in peoples’ lives. She found her love for critical care during her clinical rotation as a student and currently serves as a critical care unit nurse at Riverside Methodist Hospital. She loves building deep connections with her patients’ families.

Like Olivia, Aleksandr Duran ’22, BSN, RN and Madison Coss ’22, BSN, RN also found their love for their specialty through their clinical rotations.

Aleksandr obtained a job as a MICU and SICU nurse upon graduation at UMPC Passavant thanks to the skills he gained as a student. He learned to be a confident and caring nurse who now changes his patients’ lives.

Duran in a nursing lab

“The most fascinating part about my job is watching how critically ill a person can be and eventually they turn around to be 100% better returning to their regular lifestyle,” said Duran. “I would choose nursing as my career path again.”

Madison found her passion for pediatric oncology when she conducted her pediatric clinical rotation at Akron Children’s Hospital at their Hematology Oncology unit. Coss finds nursing to be a rewarding career because she not only is a patient’s caretaker but serves as a friend to them when they need her.

“Through the nursing program at Mount Union, I gained values like friendship, flexibility, honesty, and trustworthiness,” said Coss. “I learned to balance school, take care of a puppy, spend time with family and friends, and work a part-time job.”

Coss at work

These nursing alumni could not have accomplished their goals without the guidance of faculty and staff members in the department of nursing along with their tenacity to become the best nurses a patient could have.

Learn more about the nursing program at Mount Union at www.mountunion.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/nursing