Real Impact stories spotlight the real difference people, programs and partnerships – across the system – make on the state’s economic, social and cultural well-being. For more, meet Rafael Tinoco.
Jennifer Bond’s passion for nursing could convince almost anyone to join her field. She’s one among many working to shore up the shortage of nurses needed to care for patients in Illinois.
A University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing (UIC Nursing) alum, Bond connects daily with nurses and future nurses. She’s vice president and chief nursing officer at Springfield Memorial Hospital.
“We need high-performing nurses, and we know the nurses from the UIC program are top notch,” Bond said. “To care for people in a community our size, we need extensive support from academic partners like UIC and University of Illinois Springfield to enroll local students who want to begin their nursing career in Central Illinois.”
UIC Nursing—part of the University of Illinois System’s UI Health—offers nursing programs in Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. It continually creates pathways for new students who want rewarding careers in healthcare. Learn more about opportunities at all six locations.
Applications for many programs, including those for current nurses and others in healthcare, are due Jan. 15.
Getting started
Launched in 2016, the campus at University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) hosts UIC Nursing’s newest nursing program.
Students join the UIC Nursing undergraduate program after completing 57 hours of college-level coursework. However, thanks to a partnership between UIC and UIS, high school students applying to study at UIS who have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher can simultaneously apply for guaranteed admission into UIC’s nursing program.
Once accepted, those undergrads know they have a place in the program in Springfield as juniors, as long as they’re succeeding in their coursework.
“The UIC Nursing programs at UIS offer small classes, excellent faculty, and state-of-the-art simulation for hands-on learning,” said Sara McPherson, Springfield campus director.
Keeping students supported and engaged leads to program completion and more nurses in the field.
“We work hard to make sure our students feel a connection to the faculty and their classmates from day one,” McPherson said.
Activities like the annual back-to-school lunch help new students get to know others further along in the nursing program.
“We purposefully seat new students with Memorial nurses, as well as juniors and seniors who can share information about their clinicals,” she said.
McPherson says the partnership with Memorial Health is key.
“Because of Memorial, our students have scholarship and job opportunities. They get clinical experience in departments that match where they want to go in their career,” she said.
One nurse’s story
Bond calls her career choice a classic tale. Her mother was a critical care nurse for 40 years.
“Growing up, hearing about her work was inspiring. Her strength of character. Her devotion to patient advocacy,” Bond said. “How grateful she felt being able to care for others.”
Bond graduated from nursing school at the UIC Nursing campus in Urbana. Beyond early-morning clinicals, Bond remembers how the faculty shared their knowledge.
“They were wise in their specialties, of course. They were also wise in the way they understood people, why people do what they do. Learning through their life experiences was deep and meaningful,” Bond said.
After two years working as an intensive care nurse at Loyola University Medical Center outside Chicago, Bond landed a job at Memorial Health in Springfield. She cared for all kinds of patients, trained myriad new nurses, and capitalized on opportunities for advancement.
As chief nursing officer, she misses patient care but revels in helping prepare the next generation of much-needed nurses.
“I am a proud UIC nursing alum. The UIC and UIS faculty are some of the best nurses in the region, nurses I worked elbow to elbow with at the bedside,” Bond said. “Their talent and passion for patient care is a real asset to our community and our patients.”
‘Can’t go wrong’
McPherson says her college of nursing students can go anywhere and do anything, helping stem the shortage.
“Once you graduate as a nurse generalist, you can work in any area,” she said. “What most nurses love is the flexibility their education provides. They can work in a hospital or a clinic. They can do research. They can work out in the community.
“You just can’t go wrong in this field. And if you find you’re ready to work in a different area, it’s easy to make a change.”
McPherson and Bond know people who truly want to help others become the best nurses.
“Everyone here has a passion for seeing our students be successful,” McPherson said. “We’re as excited as they are when they become nurses because we’ve helped them on every step of the journey.”
The University of Illinois System prioritizing the health and well-being of the state's communities and residents is just part of what makes us Altogether Extraordinary. To share your story idea, please message lmabry@uillinois.edu.
