Alyssa Nord will become the second Bull Nurse in her family when she graduates this weekend. Nearly 40 years ago, her grandmother, Linda Nord, earned her graduate degree from the USF College of Nursing. Now, with her nursing pin in hand, Alyssa is proudly following in her footsteps鈥攔eady to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to the next generation of patients.
Alyssa Nord receiving her USF nursing pin
Healthcare runs deep in the Nord family, which includes several physicians and a speech therapist. Until now, Linda was the sole nurse, and one of the biggest sources of inspiration for Alyssa.
鈥淢y grandma used to tell us stories," Alyssa said. "I always loved hearing them. I thought, 鈥榃ow, maybe that鈥檚 something I鈥檇 want to do.鈥欌��
Nursing education has changed since Linda's time in nursing school. To earn her Registered Nurse (RN) license, she attended a three-year nursing program at Greenville General Hospital instead of formal undergraduate nursing education. Unlike her granddaughter, Linda鈥檚 course of study involved a greater proportion of hands-on training compared to the scientific education she received.
Linda practiced as a RN for 20 years while raising her children. At 48 years old, she returned to school for her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at the USF College of Nursing. She graduated in 1986 with a concentration in Psych Mental Health and briefly taught at the college the following year.
Linda Nord's class from Greenville General Hospital School of Nursing, 1963
鈥淚 worked on a train as a stewardess nurse in England after I finished my first degree. And when I was a Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I worked in the VA and in jails, where patients really needed a psychiatric nurse,鈥� Linda said. 鈥淚 chose nursing because of all the opportunities that other health professions didn鈥檛 have.鈥�
Linda鈥檚 stories about a nurse鈥檚 ability to focus on patient care inspired Alyssa to choose nursing, but they were both also drawn to the wide variety of specializations available to nurses.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I liked more than the medicine path鈥攜ou can change your mind in nursing. If you go somewhere and work in a specialty you don鈥檛 like, you can go somewhere else," Alyssa said. "And there鈥檚 all sorts of different kinds of higher education options.鈥�
For Alyssa, the college provided that exposure to a variety of nursing roles, clarifying her path forward. As a recipient of the Scholarship, she is on her way to spend two years working at Moffitt.
The college has prepared Alyssa to begin her transition to practice, and she is ready for more. She plans to return to USF for the . Her fellow Bull Nurse and grandmother Linda will continue to offer support and inspiration as Alyssa begins her nursing career.
Soon, Alyssa will continue the cycle of support for her younger sister, who is also planning to earn her nursing degree from the college.