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Naomi Hall builds confidence in nursing with Performance Learning

When Millikin University senior Naomi Hall graduates in Spring 2023 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, she will dive directly into her nursing career as an intensive care nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur. While growing up and experiencing her own visits to the doctor, Naomi always kept a healthcare career at the forefront. “I’ve always had a desire to work in healthcare. As a kid, I wanted to be a pediatrician, because that’s what I saw the most,” Naomi said.

For Naomi, it was nursing’s hands-on patient care that she most wanted to practice. This made her hometown university the ideal place to earn her nursing degree, as Millikin’s School of Nursing allowed her to practice these skills earlier than many other schools. “One of the highlights of the School of Nursing is the hands-on opportunities that we’ve gotten. Just being able to practice the skills on campus and then go into clinicals with confidence was really big for me.”

Among the vast array of practical skills nurses are required to learn, administering an IV was the most intimidating for Naomi when she first started her health assessment course. It was the opportunity to learn and perform the skill as many times as she needed in class that prepared her for success.

Naomi’s confidence blossomed during the health assessment course and she commented that she is most comfortable doing histories on her patients. Along with belief in her abilities, Naomi remarked that Millikin’s nursing program changed her entire perspective on the nursing profession. 

“Millikin has broadened my view of what nursing can be. There are so many areas of nursing that I didn’t know about. You can go in and be a nurse, you can do respiratory therapy or even be a flight nurse,” she said. “I’m hoping to specialize in intensive care and have already accepted a job right after college. I’m looking forward to going out in the world and giving care to critical patients.”

As a Decatur native, Naomi’s experience of Millikin has been as a commuter student. However, commuting to and from campus has not negatively impacted her experiences, nor the amount of opportunities to get involved with at Millikin. “A big highlight of 91ӣ����Ƶ for me has actually been my time outside of class,” she said. “I’ve really been able to immerse myself in the campus by making new friends and being part of different organizations. I feel like that has really elevated my college experience.”

Naomi is the chapter president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, secretary for Millikin’s nursing fraternity Alpha Tau Delta, and a member of both the Nursing Student National Association and the Black Student Union on campus.