EDWARDSVILLE - Regardless of the age you choose to pursue a degree, specifically one in nursing, it’s not easy. But, what you gain in return for your nursing efforts is worth more than money can buy.
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This is the wisdom shared by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing senior Terry Wooten, of Godfrey. On Friday, May 4, the 61-year-old will walk across SIUE’s commencement stage and celebrate having earned a bachelor’s in nursing.
“When people ask me whether nursing school is hard, I tell them yes, but if it were easy, everyone would be doing it,” Wooten explained. “You have to be committed and not give up. In the end, no one can take this achievement or knowledge away from you.”
Wooten says he always wanted a degree but was unsure what area of study he should pursue. It was later in life that he discovered nursing was his calling.
“I have lived a good life, and have experienced loss and disappointment along the way,” he said. “I’ve taken a broad range of college credit classes over the years in search of finding my right fit. I never realized how challenging and time consuming a nursing education would be, but I know it was the right decision because of the patients I have had the opportunity to care for. Everyone I have worked with has made it all worthwhile.”
One of the most memorable aspects of Wooten’s academic journey was a service trip to Costa Rica in March 2018. It was his first time out of the country and an “eye-opening” experience.
“This was an opportunity of a lifetime to help the less fortunate, and see how individuals in other countries receive healthcare,” Wooten said. “I was humbled and touched deeply by the connections we all made on this trip. Not only with each other, but also with the people we served. Everyone appreciated our efforts and welcomed us. Professionally, it expanded my nursing knowledge ten-fold.”
Now, with this huge academic venture complete, Wooten is interviewing for positions in the St. Louis area.
“I want to be part of an organization where I can contribute my skills and continuously learn from my coworkers,” he said. “I hope I am able to continue to give back throughout life.”
The SIUE School of Nursing’s fully accredited programs are committed to creating excellence in nursing leadership through innovative teaching, evidence-based practice, quality research, patient advocacy and community service. Enrolling nearly 1,400 students in its baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders in pursuit of shaping the nursing profession and impacting the health care environment. SIUE’s undergraduate nursing programs on the Edwardsville campus and the regional campus in Carbondale help to solve the region’s shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and enhance the quality of nursing practice within all patient service venues. The School’s graduate programs prepare nurses for advanced roles in clinical practice, administration and education.
