CU Nursing - Fall/Winter 2020 - 18

COLLEGE

As Liz Phelps opened her book bundle
from CU College of Nursing, she began
to cry. An unexpected gift from the
College and the Alumni Association
was included with her books - a
stethoscope. " When I opened the
stethoscope and saw the note I, to be
honest, immediately started to cry.
The fact that nurses who once stood
in my shoes would be willing to lend
a hand to their future colleagues
made me proud of this profession
that I am lucky enough to have the
opportunity to enter into, " said Phelps.

Grandmother's
Prediction Puts Student
on Nursing Path
By Dana Brandorff

he stethoscope and note Liz Phelps received
upon entering the nursing program symbolized
her transition into the profession and summed
up her journey to nursing.

That journey began years ago when Phelps' grandmother - a
neonatal ICU nurse in Georgia - told her, " You're going to
be a nurse one day. "
Phelps fought it for a long time. Originally pursuing a psychology degree, she took a three-year break from school
and began working in corporate medical supply sales for a
company specializing in internal tube feeding for patients
with a variety of conditions from gastrointestinal cancer, to
nutrition issues, to chemotherapy and allergic disorders. She
discovered a love for patient education. " When families were
discharged from hospital I would set up the initial supplies,
educate them about kangaroo pumps, troubleshoot and
connect them with dieticians, " said Phelps.

CU College of Nursing | Fall/ Winter 2020

After working in the field for a while, Phelps soon decided
that the pull to healthcare was strong. She quit her job, took a
16-week course and became a certified nurse assistant (CNA),
and worked at Denver Health conducting epilepsy monitoring
and in the surgical ICU. Sometimes handling acute patients
under the age of 18, " That's when I discovered a love for pediatrics. I thought I would hate it. But I really love children's
ability to rebound. "
While working, she went back to school and enrolled at the
Community College of Denver. " I stumbled into the Integrated
Nursing Pathway program, which offers a unique way to earn
a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. "
Offered through three local community colleges (Community
College of Aurora, The Community College of Denver and
Red Rocks Community College Arvada), the program provides simultaneous application and admission to the local
community college and CU College of Nursing. Upon admission, students take the first two semesters of classes at the
community college and receive an associate degree. Then,
they complete nursing studies at CU Nursing at the Anschutz
Medical Campus where they earn their BSN after two years.
Phelps finished her associate degree this past May and started
June 1 at Anschutz where she is one of 58 INP students. She
said excitedly, " I have a healthy nervousness. I'm finally in
the program and am glad I chose the profession. " As a CNA,
Phelps saw and worked with nurses who attained their degrees from a variety of institutions. " The nurses I have met
who have come out of CU are incredibly prepared. Their soft
skills are amazing. They appear more centered on the patient. "
If you would like to have an impact on an incoming student and
want to contribute to the stethoscope fund, visit:
https://giving.cu.edu/fund/college-nursing-stethoscope-fund

https://giving.cu.edu/fund/college-nursing-stethoscope-fund

CU Nursing - Fall/Winter 2020

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