PA College Magazine - Fall 2022 - 10

Joyce Kieffer revisits her Class of
1961 yearbook with Julie.
The Bridge from
LPN to ASN
Julie pursued and was awarded one of several grants from
Bethany Village's Nursing Grant Fund to help defray
the cost of her education. The grant was created by
Bethany Village residents in 2008 in coordination with
the Asbury Foundation, a charitable organization within
Asbury Communities Inc., of which Bethany Village is a
part. Bethany Village's Nursing Grant Fund is funded by
donations from residents and associates.
" Finding new ways to advance career goals of associates who
have fostered personal connections with the residents they
serve is an important way to retain exceptional associates
and provide the best level of service to residents, " says Brian
Grundusky, Executive Director of Bethany Village.
A Bethany Village resident since 2018, Joyce (Kissinger)
Kieffer, a 1961 alumna of the then Lancaster General
Hospital School of Nursing, serves on the nursing grant
fund committee. Her nursing career spanned 55 years
and included several positions in nursing education. She
served as an Instructor of Obstetric Nursing at Harrisburg
Hospital School of Nursing and in 1974 helped launch a
network of childbirth education classes and support systems
for expectant and new parents. She was part of a team of
nurses who provided a wide menu of health screenings
for businesses and the community. She also became a
commissioned parish nurse and worked as a health minister
at her Methodist Church for four years. " That proved
to be some of the most rewarding work I ever did, " she
says. " However, I believe all work is important, even if it's
mundane and tedious, as long as it serves others. "
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PACOLLEGE.EDU
Joyce has also been involved in community efforts. She
helped a team of philanthropists establish the Nativity
School of Harrisburg, a private, non-denominational middle
school for inner-city boys. She says that effort was a bit of
a stretch for someone who worked in women's health and
raised two daughters, but " nursing opens many doors, even
those you thought were closed to you. "
" I wasn't aware of the grant program when I moved to
Bethany Village but being part of the committee is a natural
fit for me. So many of us have a mentor - a person or two
who have taken an interest in us along the way. Now it's my
turn to help others. It's important to encourage and support
our nursing staff who wish to further their education.
It's important for everyone to open their eyes and hearts
to all possibilities, " Joyce says. " I knew when Julie was
interviewed by the nursing grant committee that she was
worthy of our grant, and I was so happy that she would be
"
As an LPN, I help people during
their most vulnerable moments.
I've always had a passion for
helping older people. It's my niche.
studying nursing at my alma mater. We've bonded, and I've
offered to be her mentor should she need to bounce things
off someone older, and hopefully wiser, when she needs
encouragement. "
Joyce says the number of grants awarded and the amount
of each individual grant varies each year. " As a full-time
mother taking care of two young children in daycare and a
full-time employee, the grant will help manage the financial
responsibility of pursuing my passion of becoming an RN, "
Julie says.
Nursing is a profession whose " ladder " has many rungs or
opportunities to attain additional credentials. PA College's
LPN Bridge Program is one of those opportunities.
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PA College Magazine - Fall 2022

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