Major: Nursing
Class: 2006
Melissa Schultz
Class: 2006
Major: Nursing
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Awards: Rookie of the Year
Hospitals worked at: UW-Hospital in Madison, Wis. and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.
Current position: Burn ICU Nurse at UW Hospital
Why did you go into nursing?
I have always loved working with people and I found that nursing offers the perfect blend of science, communication, and compassion. It allows you to use your social skills along with your scientific and critical thinking skills. I started working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in high school and knew from that point on that nursing was the career for me. It is not always an easy job, but every day is rewarding.
How did MSOE prepare you for your job?
Going to nursing school at MSOE was the best thing that could have happened to me. MSOE prepared me for the real world and I entered the nursing profession with confidence. The clinical experience the nursing program at MSOE provides gives graduates the knowledge they need to succeed. My first job was very impressed with how quickly I oriented to their unit.
What kind of applications do you use in your job? How did your degree at MSOE help you with those?
The nursing program at MSOE emphasized how important critical thinking skills were and how much we, as students, needed to work to develop them. Now, critical thinking comes naturally and in the Burn ICU it is a skill that I use everyday.
Did you have a favorite professor? Why?
All of my professors were very supportive and encouraging.
What made you choose MSOE?
MSOE has a great reputation in engineering so I knew that the nursing program had to hold up to MSOE standards. I also loved the smaller class sizes. I went to a UW school for a couple years and was lost in the large auditorium classes they had. At MSOE the professors know you personally. It is easy to participate in class and have any questions answered right away.
Advice/anything you would want to say to potential/current MSOE nursing students?
The nursing program at MSOE provides you with the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to become a great nurse. Getting through school is not going to be easy, but you have to remember that it will all be worth it. The professors at MSOE care about you and want to help you graduate. They push you to succeed and reach your true potential.
What are your future goals?
I plan to go back to school within the next year to get my Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner License.