Studying away from campus can be a challenging time for many students. But as part of their major, students in the nursing field at Luther spend an entire year in Rochester, Minn., gaining valuable knowledge and experiencing life on their own.

After completing two years of classes and clinicals on campus and in the Decorah area, nursing students move to Rochester and spend a year taking classes and gaining hands-on experience within two Mayo Clinic hospitals: Saint Marys and Rochester Methodist.

Students spend the beginning of each week in classes held at Assisi Heights convent, learning theories they apply in the hospitals for the remainder of each week. At the hospital, students follow a three-week rotation in different wards, including the medical and surgery floors, the mental health unit and pediatrics.

While in the hospital, students assess the patients they are assigned each week, read and study medical charts and develop short-term plans of care for the patients. In addition, students observe surgeries and work hands-on with the theories they learn in their classes.

“My favorite part of the experience was taking on the role of the nurse while I was there,” said Sarah Kilen (‘09). “I felt privileged to have the opportunity to study at Mayo, and the clinicals allowed us to apply the skills we learned and practice them throughout the hospital.”

Kilen’s view is shared by nursing student Emily Spice (‘09).

“Although I learned a lot while at Luther, the experiences in Rochester are ten times greater in teaching us about patient care,” said Spice. “In Rochester, we have a chance to see what we’ve been learning in real life and become more responsible as individuals.”

Not only is the Rochester nursing program a chance to expand students’ nursing skills, but it also serves as a time for independence.

“This is a very maturing experience,” said Donna Kubesh, associate professor of nursing. “Students are away from resources and have a chance to grow up. They also see things within the hospitals that are eye opening and life changing, allowing them to grow in their personal and professional life.”

Through this growth process, the nursing students hope to use the valuable skills acquired in Rochester in their nursing careers.

“I feel like I’m going to be graduating from Luther with a really great nursing education,” said Kilen. “Although it was hard to leave Luther, Rochester played a huge part in my nursing curriculum.”