ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

Speaker 1:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the host and guests may or may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.

Speaker 2:

I am going into my last semester of chemical engineering.

Speaker 3:

I'm a senior journalism major.

Speaker 4:

And I'm minoring in supply chain and operations management.

Speaker 5:

I'm a biochemistry major.

Speaker 6:

Classes are going great, extracurriculars are going great.

Speaker 7:

I'm an RA on campus.

Speaker 6:

I'm thriving.

Jason Meggyesy:

Hi, I'm Jason Meggyesy and this is Major Insight. This is the podcast where we talk college life with amazing students about how to find your place and purpose on campus.

Molly Ferguson discovered her passion for nursing early on. When a memorable experience at a young age showed her the difference a caring and compassionate nurse can make, she knew she wanted to make that same impact on patients and families one day. Molly's also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a sorority dedicated to inspiring positive change. And as a member of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Oxford Student Nurse Association, she also understands how to bounce her major with student organizations and how rewarding it can be to choose a career dedicated to helping other people. Molly, how are you doing?

Molly Ferguson:

I'm good. How are you?

Jason Meggyesy:

I'm doing well. I'm doing well. First question I like to ask everybody, who are you?

Molly Ferguson:

My name is Molly. I am a junior here at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio, and I'm studying nursing.

Jason Meggyesy:

Talk to me about growing up in Cincinnati, kind of the environment that you were in, and what drew you to wanting to go to college and ultimately studying nursing.

Molly Ferguson:

So my grandma was battling cancer when I was about in middle school. And I think everyone has had some sort of experience that they can recall with a nurse where they not only put your family member first, but also the family as a whole. And just involving us in care was really important to my family and them, just taking care, not only of my grandma, but also of us, like emotionally during that time was something that was really inspiring to me. And something that I want to make a priority as a nurse.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Seeing her do all these things for you and for your grandma, was that like a deciding factor in-

Molly Ferguson:

Oh, definitely. Definitely. Yeah.

Jason Meggyesy:

So then, senior year of high school obviously is a crazy time for everybody. You're applying to school. Talk to me, kind of walk me through your whole experience of deciding on going to college and what schools were you looking at? Which ones weren't you looking at? And then why ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú?

Molly Ferguson:

So my top two were definitely University of Cincinnati and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. Ultimately the reason I chose ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú over UC was because ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú is a direct admit program for nursing. And that was huge for me, because I didn't want to be competing against my peers. I wanted to be collaborative. And also, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú is just a lot smaller than UC, their nursing program. So I felt like I had a close relationship with the professors. They were more approachable and I was still at all those same big hospitals that the Cincinnati kids are at.

Jason Meggyesy:

Do you feel that collaboration when you're working in your classes?

Molly Ferguson:

Oh, definitely. Definitely. I live with three of my nursing major friends and we make our study guides together. We spent last night at Pearson for three hours studying together.

Jason Meggyesy:

And then we keep mentioning you're from Cincinnati and it is pretty close, right? But coming to college and being on campus is a different feeling for everybody, right? So what kind of challenges when you came to campus shocked you when you first stepped on and were living here?

Molly Ferguson:

So I loved the dorm life. I thought it was awesome and I lived in the nursing...

Jason Meggyesy:

The student living LLC.

Molly Ferguson:

I live in the Nursing LLC.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Yeah. I got you. Yeah. Yeah.

Molly Ferguson:

Yeah. So I loved that. I met so many people through that and again, going back to that collaboration, it was so awesome. Just like go in the study rooms and all work together. But the transition from high school to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, my high school was super diverse, but it was a good transition for me. I think with COVID I had a little bit of a bump in the road second semester, but the nursing program has been great just working with us through all of that. But when we came back in the fall, after that break, all of our skills labs were still in person. It was crucial for us to be in person, learning. We were assessed based on how we performed in those classes.

Jason Meggyesy:

And by skills labs, what kind of skills are we talking about?

Molly Ferguson:

So your sophomore year you have those skills labs. We learned injections. We learned how to take blood pressure, listening to heart rates, like assessing different heart sounds. So that was one of my favorite labs, because it was like you finally got a feel of what nursing felt like. You wore a little uniform, you had your badge. It was exciting. Getting those basic skills was what we learned in that class.

Jason Meggyesy:

Gotcha. You felt the spirit of the nursing.

Molly Ferguson:

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Right. What's like the timeline for nurses here at school, right? It seems like you guys do something different every year, correct? Or semester. I don't know.

Molly Ferguson:

Yeah, semester. So freshman year, you have all your pre-reqs, you have chem, you have anatomy, bio, all that. I think actually they've transitioned to starting nursing class since freshman year, just to make sure that it is the right path for freshman, which I think is awesome. And then moving into your second year, you'll start those skills labs. So I did that first semester and second semester and I mentioned, we learned all those basic fundamental skills. And then your second semester, sophomore year, you start a mini clinical. So I was at McCullough-Hyde once a week. It was super introductory, but I liked that they do introduce clinicals as a sophomore because I don't think most colleges do do that. And it made me confident going into those eight, 12-hour clinicals as a junior and senior.

Jason Meggyesy:

And then as a freshman, what... Obviously the curriculum is science heavy, right? But what are those make or break factors for you that you went through this and you were like, okay, yeah, this is what I kind of want to do, and for other people it may be like a deterrent?

Molly Ferguson:

Yeah. What I think was unique with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's curriculum is those chem anatomy classes, they still tailor towards nursing majors. So it wasn't like your gen chem. It was like chem for nursing majors. So I think making it applicable to your major was super important in helping you ensure that this is the path for you. And also, it didn't make you feel like, why am I doing this? It was like, okay, this is how I can apply chem into the real world.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Off of that, you're a junior now. So you've had some time under your belt. Are there any teachers that have been instrumental in this journey that you've taken so far?

Molly Ferguson:

Definitely. So Susan Hammer has been awesome. She is my advisor for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Oxford Student Nursing Association and was also my first lab instructor for those skills labs that I was mentioning. And just, she really cares about all of her students and wants them to be successful and just gives them all the resources to be successful. And one of the core memories that I have with Susan when all my roommates got COVID, when we got back sophomore year, when we were all transitioning back to what online learning was going to look like, Susan and her partner, Nancy, were driving around Oxford dropping off all of our new stethoscopes so that we could practice together in our apartment when we were quarantining and listen to our lung sounds and compare them to when we were sick versus when we were healthy back in lab. So I think that's just a small gesture, but perfectly represents the relationship that the nursing staff in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú strives to develop with all their students. But they really do just want to see you strive and do well and they'll do anything for you to see that happen.

Jason Meggyesy:

So you mentioned that one organization that you were involved in. Talk to me about that one, and then any other organizations you're involved with on campus.

Molly Ferguson:

So MOSNA, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Oxford Student Nursing Association, I'm the secretary for that, but that organization, since it is a new program at the Oxford branch, we're just trying to create an environment where underclassmen can ask questions about what to expect and just collaborate on best ways to study. We have like a big little type thing, which has been really successful and just helping people study and what to expect for certain professors. I would describe it as a support group for nursing students at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. And the main things we do are the big little mentor programs. We host things like blood drives. We get in speakers from different attributes of nursing to see what certain students may be interested in. So just providing the resources for underclassmen on what to expect in the program, as well as postgrad.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you. Got you. And then what other organizations are you involved with other than that?

Molly Ferguson:

I'm in Greek Life. I'm in Kappa Kappa Gamma. This last semester, I was the recruitment assistant. That took up a lot of my time, but it was a lot of fun. So getting this new pledge classes was awesome. Just working along with the recruitment chair, all of that was a lot, but it was really fun. And then transitioning into this semester, I'm also the secretary for Kappa.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you. So how have being involved in these organizations, both MOSNA and Greek Life in general, but Kappa as well shaped your experience and how you've grown through college?

Molly Ferguson:

I think in any Greek-like organization, you're going to find connections. So there's a lot of nursing majors within Kappa, as well as pre-med majors and we can all study together. And then obviously MOSNA has created so many connections. But I think just at first, like balancing extracurriculars and my major was difficult, but just learning how to plan out my week, look forward to the exams because nursing is very test heavy. There's not a lot of assignments. It's mostly exams just because knowing the content is crucial to being a successful nurse. But just blocking out time, leading up has been really helpful.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. So talk to me about that first time when you realized you were sitting in class or wherever you were that you were like, man, this isn't going to be something I can just show up for. Right?

Molly Ferguson:

Yeah. A&P was tough for me. It was.

Jason Meggyesy:

What's that?

Molly Ferguson:

Anatomy and physiology was tough. I think it was after I actually first went through recruitment. I did not prepare for that exam like I should have. And that was definitely a wake-up call for me for like, okay, extracurriculars are super important. But at the end of the day, nursing is what I want to do and it is the priority. So I need to set time to do this.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm sure that was like, that's a big shock for sure. Because I mean I'm not a science guy or a math guy in any way and that takes time. I know it does. I know that takes time. So now I want to know about what you got going on in the summer. Going to Tel Aviv University to do some work there. What's going on with that?

Molly Ferguson:

So this summer I am, well, I haven't gotten the internship yet. I'm in process three of four. But this summer I'm looking forward to potentially doing research at Tel Aviv University or a women's health clinic for refugees.

Jason Meggyesy:

Gotcha.

Molly Ferguson:

What I'm looking forward to most about this is just having the opportunity to share ideas on a global level and just bring what I learned back to the states.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you.

Molly Ferguson:

Healthcare in Israel is so advanced and I'm honestly intimidated by it, but I think it would just be a great opportunity to see how they best practice and bring that back to the States and share that with the healthcare community here.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. All right. Now I'm kind of transitioning to my philosophical part of the...

Molly Ferguson:

Oh boy.

Jason Meggyesy:

I want you to take the abstract ideas out of your head. You're a junior currently. If it could all go perfect, what are you doing after graduation with your life? Where are we going if it all could be perfect?

Molly Ferguson:

In a perfect world, I want to be a labor and delivery nurse. So this past semester I had my first specialty clinical. So I was in pediatrics and OB, which is labor and delivery. Peds was not my thing. Sick kids was sad. It was not my thing. But labor and delivery, I loved. During that clinical, I was up there with the mother's legs in my hand, like coaching them on what to do. And it was just awesome. I think bringing life into the world is just something that we take for granted honestly. And seeing that every single day was honestly amazing. So, that's my goal when I graduate. Getting into a specialty postgrad is difficult, so I might need to start on like a med surg unit to get more skill and then transition to a specialty. OB is definitely my passion.

Jason Meggyesy:

So it was the real deal when you were there.

Molly Ferguson:

Oh yeah.

Jason Meggyesy:

Like everything.

Molly Ferguson:

Oh yeah.

Jason Meggyesy:

Going back to the coursework and curriculum, what through these three years has been your most favorite class or project to work on?

Molly Ferguson:

Something that I love about the nursing program is that they do introduce you to all the specialties. So I talked about, I took pediatrics, I took OB. Right now, I'm taking mental health, behavioral health, and then med surg. So I think just having an introduction into all those specialties really gives you more insight on what you might want to potentially do postgrad. So when I took OB, I knew right away that was the class for me. That was what I wanted do postgrad. Maybe I'm biased because I'm female, but just learning about all of that was so awesome. Then again, applying that into the clinical setting and the simulation setting was really rewarding.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. And then one question that just came to my mind is, I mean, like you said before, nursing is a female-dominant industry. Do you think there's advantages and disadvantages to it being like that? And if so, what do you think they are?

Molly Ferguson:

There's multiple guys in my nursing classes and they don't feel alienated or anything. So I think if you're a guy who's interested in nursing, I don't think that should hold you back.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Got you. I mean, I feel like nursing is this field that people think they understand and it's like, oh, you got doctors and nurses. And that's like the one and the two, but what to you is a big misconception that a lot of people have about the field of nursing in general?

Molly Ferguson:

I think that the field of nursing is so broad and that's one of the reasons that I did choose nursing, because I think as a high schooler, you're scared of, okay, if I choose this, this is what I'm doing for the rest of my life. And within nursing, there's so many opportunities. You can change specialties, you can go get advanced practices and be a nurse practitioner. My end goal is to go back and get my master's in education and be a professor. I come from a family of teachers. So I've always wanted to teach, but I'm definitely more of a sciencey gal. So my end goal is to be a professor.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Yeah. What would you say to somebody, a senior on the fence about, ah, I don't know if I want to be a nurse? What would you say they would need to know, maybe not know, but feel in order to take this on?

Molly Ferguson:

I think it's cliche, but definitely having a passion for helping people. Something that I love about nursing is just the constant discovery. You learn something new every single day. You're collaborating with different individuals every single day. So I think if you're on the fence, just wanting to learn more, nursing is a great field to go into.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Yeah. My last question for you is, if you could go back and sit down with freshman Molly Ferguson, what are you telling her? What advice are you giving her schoolwise, lifewise, all that?

Molly Ferguson:

Schoolwise, I would say create relationship with your professors. Reaching out to them and just showing that you care about their class, they'll reciprocate that energy back to you, if you show them that you want to be there and that you want to learn and do well in their class. On a personal level, I would just say, also cliche, but just enjoy every second of it. I cannot believe I'm already a junior. You're a senior. That's ridiculous. I can't even talk about it. But just honestly live in the moment, soak it all in, take advantage of every opportunity you can.

Jason Meggyesy:

Cool. Well, Molly, thank you for your time today. It was amazing talking to you.

Molly Ferguson:

Thank you. It was great. Thank you for having me.

Jason Meggyesy:

I'm excited to see where Nurse Molly goes in the future.

Molly Ferguson:

Me too.

Jason Meggyesy:

Molly Ferguson is a junior studying nursing at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University. After graduation she plans to become an OBGYN Labor and Delivery Nurse.

And thank you for listening to Major Insight. If you enjoyed this podcast, share with your friends or anyone interested in navigating college life, many more episodes are now available wherever you get your podcast.