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Nursing Program Graduates Enter the Field Early

Even as a preschooler, Marissa Stelluto knew she wanted to be a nurse.

When her teddy bears got the sniffles, and her Barbies suffered the occasional broken leg, Stelluto was there to fix them. Toy stethoscope in hand, she listened for abnormal rhythms or other signs of something more serious.

Her brother and sister played along, and she learned early that not every superhero wears a cape.

But they do wear a mask.

These days, the 25-year-old has traded in her plastic stethoscope for one made from stainless steel. Scrubs are her uniform; gloves serve as a shield. Stelluto and her fellow nurses are ready to battle an invisible threat, a silent invader that steals the health of its victims they rally to save.

Stelluto is one of 21 九游娱乐官网 at Stark nursing students entering the field early to serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 health crisis. Slated to graduate in May, they are being recruited to assist short-handed area hospital and health care facilities.

State boards are on hold 鈥 for now. That was the Ohio Board of Nursing鈥檚 response to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine鈥檚 declaration that Ohio is in a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic. Temporary licenses are being issued to graduates, like Stelluto.

鈥淎 lot of people might be worried because we are working before passing our state boards,鈥 said Stelluto, who will graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). 鈥淏ut what they must realize is that we鈥檝e developed the critical skills needed through our education. A state examination is simply that 鈥 an exam. It doesn鈥檛 teach you anything further.

鈥淭he program at 九游娱乐官网 Stark is such a great nursing program because you graduate with the skills that you need to begin working on Day One.鈥

For Stelluto, Day One has already begun. She鈥檚 serves as a patient care tech at Aultman Hospital in Canton, where she works directly with nurses to get patients鈥 vital signs, help them with bathing and feeding, along with assisting when it鈥檚 time to discharge a patient.

For all seniors in 九游娱乐官网 Stark鈥檚 nursing program, their final semesters are spent in clinical settings, including Aultman, Mercy Medical Center, Heartland Behavioral Health and Akron Children鈥檚 Hospital, where they receive hands-on experience to prepare them for their professional careers.

While the students are not fully licensed professionals and are limited in the services that they can perform and provide, they are a huge asset to health care facilities and illness-stricken community members, said Chrissy Kauth, Ph.D., RN, coordinator of 九游娱乐官网 Stark鈥檚 nursing program and the campus office of Recruitment and Retention.

鈥淲e need more people in health care to help with patients,鈥 said