Seeking a summer internship, and with a brother attending the University of Wisconsin, Viterbo nursing student Kenzie Nugent researched opportunities at UW Health in Madison. There, she found the Nurse Externship, a 10-week program that gives participants the opportunity to provide hands-on patient care alongside an RN clinical coach in a variety of nursing specialties, roles, and health care settings.

Applying for the internship, or externship as it is called at UW Health, Nugent was very pleased to be offered a place in radiology, the field of medicine that uses various forms of imaging such as MRI, X-rays, CT, and ultrasound to diagnose and help treat disease.

“Radiology is a very specialized area of nursing that students don’t typically get to experience on their clinical rotations,” said Nugent, a senior from Hartland. “Through this program, I was able to connect the textbook material with real life practices and procedures. I gained great experience.”

Nugent was one of five externs in the department whose duties included preparing patients for procedures by starting IVs or accessing implanted ports, assisting with paracenteses, and observing a variety of other interventional radiology procedures from biopsies to brain surgery.

“I was privileged to work alongside and learn from some of the best nurses in the state,” Nugent said. “They’re super knowledgeable and definitely enjoyed teaching.”

The experience in radiology had the added benefit of translating well to other nursing positions because imaging is used in many different areas of health care. While radiology is a field she would definitely consider in the future, Nugent would like to begin her professional career in emergency nursing in a hospital setting when she graduates from Viterbo in December.

“I just think it’s a great setting in which to start practicing your skills while gaining more information and knowledge,” she said.

With an interest in science and health care starting at a young age, Nugent gained valuable career experience and discernment in both before deciding to enroll at Viterbo University and become an RN. She began volunteering at a local hospital at the age of 15. A year later, she completed a health-youth apprenticeship at Arrowhead High School to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and began working at assisted living facilities to learn the basics of communication and providing care. She then worked at a physical rehabilitation center, taking care of mental health patients, long-term residents, and short-term rehab patients with physical injuries. As a Viterbo student, she served as a perioperative technician at Gundersen Health System hospital in La Crosse.

“I've always had a passion for helping others because of the deep sense of fulfillment it brings,” Nugent said. “I was drawn to nursing because of the desire to make a difference in people’s lives. I’ve had great professors who have given me a very solid foundation for becoming an excellent nurse. My experience at Viterbo allowed me to succeed in this role at UW Health. It went great.”

One of Nugent’s favorite Viterbo nursing faculty members, Bobbi Schamberger, looks forward to seeing where Nugent’s career takes her.

“Kenzie will be an outstanding nurse,” Schamberger said. “As her former course and clinical instructor, I was continually impressed by her compassionate bedside manner, clinical confidence, and her professionalism.”

Explore the Program

Learn more about Viterbo’s nursing program, where hands-on clinical experience and compassionate care training prepare you to make a real difference in the lives of others.