ICU RN a 'dream job' for 2015 alumna
Alyssa Coverdale ’15 landed her dream job as an RN at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. in the trauma, neuro, and surgical intensive care unit.
“I can't say enough about how well the Malone University Nursing program prepared me for the ‘real world’ of nursing,” said Coverdale. “The professors and staff cared about me as a person as well as a future nurse. My clinical experience was incredible and my professors pushed me to achieve high goals for myself academically, and I did it!”
Coverdale said she chose to attend Malone because of its reputable nursing program, the integration of faith into education, and the opportunity to be a cheerleader at the college level.
“The emphasis on faith and prayer in my clinicals really stood out to me,” she said. “The way my professors and clinical instructors encouraged me, I always felt important and that what I was doing as a student was meaningful.” As a student, Coverdale helped pioneer the Malone Nursing Mentor Program as a member of the Malone Nursing Student Association during her senior year.
“I remembered being a freshman at Malone and wishing I had a role model to guide me through my years in the nursing program, and so I helped create a program that would foster encouraging relationships between all of the classes,” she said.
Her relationships with faculty and staff also meant a great deal to her.
“I had several influential relationships at Malone,” she said. “Julie Hooley was my support system and encouraged me through all of my nursing courses. Christine Harrington, Stephanie Burgess, and Lora Wyss pushed me in my critical care classes and clinicals, and encouraged me to pursue my dream of being an ICU nurse. They all believed in me.”