Twin brothers Kyle and Kaleb Mehaffey (Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio) are both pursuing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees at Shawnee State University. They decided to attend SSU to receive a more personalized education within the nursing program.
“The class sizes are smaller, which can help you build relationships with faculty and encompasses an enriching educational experience,” said Kaleb.
Born three months premature, the brothers spent a lot of time at the beginning of their lives in a hospital. Now seeing the number of paths for nurses to help people, they both decided a career in nursing was for them.
“You have the ability to care for people on their worst day and make a monumental impact in their life, which is huge honor, and one that I will take with me throughout my career,” said Kyle.
“I find it fulfilling when I have the opportunity to care for someone other than myself,” said Kaleb. “When people come to the hospital, they are often experiencing one of the worst days in their life, and I wanted to be one of their sources of hope and strength.”
Connecting with their classmates, Kyle and Kaleb have relied on one another while going through the program as an additional level of support.
“Going through the program together pushes each of us to be better and allows us to bounce ideas and study material off each other,” said Kyle.
While on campus, both brothers have worked as lab assistants for microbiology and anatomy, allowing them to connect with undergraduate students needing additional help in those subjects and grow their confidence in the classroom. Looking towards their future careers, they both hope to start their nursing path working in an Intensive Care Unit before pursuing a CRNA license to become nurse anesthetists.
Giving students a competitive edge in the healthcare field, the BSN program at SSU prepares students to confront the changes in science, technology and nature, and settings of nursing practice. To students interested in a career in nursing, they both encourage students to access the resources available to them and connect with their classmates.
“Shawnee State has many amazing resources such as your professors, free tutoring, and more to help you succeed,” said Kyle.
“A big piece of advice that I can give is to find your people, find a group you can connect with,” said Kaleb. I couldn’t imagine going through nursing school without my friend group.”
To learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Shawnee State University, visit www.shawnee.edu/bsn.
