On the last day of Viterbo University student Lydia Jennings’ capstone nursing clinical experience at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, a patient told her “Thank you for everything. You’ll be a great nurse.”

It was an especially nice compliment considering the source. This person had been hospitalized for an extended period, and in that time had been cared for by enough medical professionals to be considered somewhat of an expert on the subject.

“Many patients had been through a lot and seeing them improve and be discharged from the hospital was super rewarding,” Jennings said. “I learned a great deal, and it was a very moving experience.”

It wasn’t the first time Jennings had received an expression of gratitude from a patient, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Jennings will graduate from Viterbo with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the university’s Winter Commencement ceremony Dec. 13. She won’t have far to go to begin her new career, having already been hired as an RN just across the street from campus at Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) in La Crosse, where she completed an internship and currently works as a nurse technician.

Jennings will bring more patient care experience at different levels in health care than many to her new job. In high school, she worked in a nursing home and an assisted living facility in her native Caledonia, Minn. During her time at Viterbo, she served as a Patient Care Assistant (the Mayo equivalent of a CNA) at MCHS in La Crosse before advancing to a nurse tech position. Her summer internship at MCHS in La Crosse gave her week-long introductions to 10 different departments under the guidance of an RN mentor.

“I have observed Lydia interacting with patients on several occasions, and each time she demonstrated an impressive blend of confidence, warm disposition, and genuine compassion that helps put patients at ease,” said Viterbo nursing faculty member and MCHS registered nurse Rachael Duster. “Her professionalism and natural clinical instincts make it clear that she is exceptionally well prepared for nursing practice. She is truly the kind of nurse I would trust to care for myself or my loved ones.”

Jennings chose to attend Viterbo because of its proximity to her family, the university’s “small-town-like” community, and the excellent reputation of its nursing program.

“My aunt has been an RN at Mayo throughout her whole career, and she told me that when they see Viterbo on an application they notice,” Jennings said.

Nursing clinical assignments in pediatrics, orthopedics, geriatrics, and other areas of emphasis at a variety of local medical providers was another highlight for Jennings. At her new post at MCHS in La Crosse in February, Jennings will serve as an RN on unit 4C, where she now works as a nurse tech with professional staff who encouraged her to apply for the position. She will care for cardiac, neurology, and pediatric patients. She is now enrolled in a Viterbo class prepare that will prepare her to take the National Council Licensure Examination early, and is greatly looking forward to applying the skills she has learned and serving as an RN.

“It’s the personal relationships I value the most,” Jennings said. “I want to know I made a difference for my patients.”

In coming years, Jennings may consider a position in the ICU or ER. Eventually continuing her nursing education is also in her plans. In the very near term, she is working on the address her nursing classmates elected her to give at the Viterbo Nursing Pinning Ceremony.

“I want to thank everyone at Viterbo for getting me to this point and supporting me,” Jennings said. “It wasn’t easy, but it was a great experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I hope to come back some day to earn a graduate degree.”

A Message from Lydia Jennings

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