Graduates of the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing are among the best in the country — their first-time pass rate for NCLEX, the national nursing licensure and certification exam, exceeds the national average. Although graduates find jobs at hospitals all over the nation, many choose to make a difference at University of Missouri Health Care.
In the past year, 40 recent nursing school graduates have joined the MU Health Care staff in a variety of units, including medical and neurological intensive care units, cardiology, labor and delivery, and emergency services.
Erika Buchheit is one such alumna. While an undergraduate, Buchheit knew she wanted to work in an emergency department. Toward the end of her studies, she knew the she wanted to work at MU Health Care.
“University of Missouri Health Care strives to provide a learning environment in each and every one of its hospitals,” she says.
Buchheit sees the emergency room as exciting but knows her patients do not see it that way.
“We see people on some of their absolute worst days,” Buchheit says, “This motivates me to make every ER visit as positive as possible.”
The nursing school prepared Buchheit for her job in the Emergency Department.
“The Sinclair School of Nursing prepared me for my role as an ER nurse through continuously reinforcing the importance of critical thinking and autonomy in nursing.” - Erika Buchheit, Sinclair School of Nursing alumna
“The Sinclair School of Nursing prepared me for my role as an ER nurse through continuously reinforcing the importance of critical thinking and autonomy in nursing,” Buchheit says. “Having the ability to thoroughly analyze every situation and anticipate the needs of your patients goes far beyond any routine IV start. Also, each and every faculty member at the nursing school is so passionate that students are left with a desire to continue learning, continue questioning common practice and continue advocating for the nursing profession.”
Buchheit is enrolled in the School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice online program and says working at and learning in the MU Health system is a “perfect match.”