Brooke Hickey Awarded White Coat Towards Nursing Degree
Brooke Hickey is one step closer to earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as she along with fellow second-semester nursing classmates at The University of Memphis Lambuth received their White Coat at an award ceremony that was held on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
“The White Coat is a symbol of our commitment as future nurses to provide high-quality care, compassion, and collaborative care to every patient,” said Brooke. “To me, it is a promise. It is a commitment. But it is also an encouragement to keep moving forward despite how hard it may get. It is a reminder to me that nursing isn’t just a career choice, but it is what God put me and many others on this earth to do, which is to serve and love His people.”
The desire to become a nurse touched Brooke when she was much younger. She shared memories of playing outside with her sister, Lillie, and cousins and pretending to be a nurse or a doctor. Brooke would pretend to bandage them up and teach them how to care for it. She would also dress up as a doctor or nurse on career days, and would even make a badge that said “Baby Doctor” that she would wear.
“I was always fascinated by the nurses caring for babies in the hospital. Nursing wasn’t a choice for me. It was a natural answer,” said Brooke. “I love learning about anatomy and how the body works, even to its deepest core. I enjoy learning about all of the different medicines and all that they can treat and be used for. What I enjoy most is having the ability to take care of people and put a smile on their faces in some of their hardest times. It is a great joy to be able to meet so many people from all aspects of life and build a relationship with them when on a regular day we might have never met each other.”
After graduating from Bolivar Central High School in 2022, the next logical step for Brooke was to enroll at The University of Memphis Lambuth. Her studies will continue with classes that focus on mental health, pediatrics, complex nursing, evidence-based practice, and community health. Brooke will also gain more clinical experience in the hospital setting where she will be able to perform hands-on tasks that she has learned and assist other nurses. She is already considering the different departments in which she would like to work that include the Mother Baby Unit, NICU, Pulmonary floor, Cardiac floor, or in the OR as a scrub nurse.
“My career plan after graduating college is to work in one of those departments either in Memphis at Baptist East or at Jackson General Hospital,” said Brooke. “I am thoroughly looking forward to life after graduation. I can’t wait to step foot on the floor as a nurse and finally get to do what I have always longed to. I will finally be able to put everything that I have worked so hard to learn to use.”
Brooke believes choosing to attend the University of Memphis at Lambuth was the best choice for her on the journey towards becoming a nurse. She is thankful to The University of Memphis Lambuth for giving her the opportunity to be in its nursing program.
“They are everything I need in college. If you want to go into nursing and are still undecided about where you want to go to college, I suggest looking into The University of Memphis Lambuth, Loewenburg College of Nursing. At Lambuth, you will get the best of both worlds. You will be part of a university but also get the luxury of smaller class sizes. This will allow you to grow a strong relationship with your professors and classmates whom you will grow to love like a family. These close relationships will allow you to get the best nursing education because of the professor’s tentativeness to their student’s success and it will allow more one-on-one practice on your hands-on skills,” said Brooke. “If you are anything like me and you don’t want to leave your hometown, Lambuth is in Jackson and is just far enough away to gain some independence and have the college experience. You will love nursing school at Lambuth. You will meet so many new people and you will make true lifelong best friends who you will laugh and even cry with. If you are an aspiring nursing student, The University of Memphis Lambuth should be at the top of your list.”
Brooke is the daughter of Matthew and Tina Hickey of Bolivar, Tennessee. She is very thankful to her loved ones for all of the support and encouragement they continue to give her on this journey.
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