Rutgers Nursing Magazine - Summer 2021

Hospitals were in dire need. New nursing graduates were needed to enter the workforce immediately. They were ready — and able — to step into their new and challenging roles. DONNA McFADDEN (MA, BS, BA, RN) Despite 12 years’ experience as an outpatient mental health care provider, Donna McFadden began her first nursing job at an ur- ban New Jersey medical center with some trepidation. A gradu- ate of SON’s accelerated, second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, this Newark native already held an undergrad- uate degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling and was used to working in crisis situations. Her goal has always been “to empower people to learn to fix their problems,” she says. “I returned to school for nursing so I could address the whole person, both mental and physical concerns.” The nursing program, she says, was “intense and challenging,” preparing her well for what lay ahead. “My mom was a nurse and I worked with nurses. I knew their work was hard.” She accepted a job on the oncology unit, which had suddenly been transformed into a COVID-care unit at the start of the pan- demic. “I brought with me my background of holding people’s hands, of trying to understand how each patient was feeling. But with the demands of COVID-19 care, there wasn’t time to slow down for one individual patient. That was very hard for me.” Strangely, she says, with COVID cases on the decline, “I’m even busier now. We’re trying to fix a year of neglect of conditions like uncontrolled diabetes and heart failure.” She hopes to be able to blend nursing and mental health care in the future. McFadden’s advice to future nursing students: “It’s difficult, but you can do it. Be part of a study group. Nursing is teamwork. Start learning to work on a team while you’re still in school.” (L-R) Donna McFadden, Ashley Lopez, McFadden with mask.