Initiative Category: Nursing

A small town. A sudden disaster. An immediate need for knowledgeable people across a range of professions to come together, formulate a rapid response, and work quickly and calmly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the townspeople.

In today’s world, these types of situations are unfortunately common. Being prepared to respond is another story. Recently, more than 60 Trinity undergraduate and graduate students across a range of majors, including nursing, social work, education, and psychology, got to have such an experience when a simulated disaster struck the fictional town of Trollsboro.

The students weren’t told ahead of time what the scenario would look like, so they had to immediately start working together to respond to the crisis and then develop a follow up plan to deal with the repercussions of the disaster one month later.

Said nursing major Kate DeKryger ‘22, “It was interesting to see other disciplines at work in front of us and alongside of us. My biggest takeaway from this experience and the challenges that it brought is that no one discipline or group of people, even expertly trained and skilled individuals, can handle crises alone.”

Each group included at least one student majoring in nursing, education, social work, and psychology. The students experienced working together in an interdisciplinary way.  Along with respecting the expertise of others, it was a chance for each one of the student to find their voices and advocate for their own insights and opinions.

For Dr. Deb Majewski, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling, the simulation fit in perfectly with her graduate-level Counseling 603  Internship II course. “The project offered the students real-world experience in responding to a crisis simulation in conjunction with other disciplines.  They were required to collaborate in respectful and deeply caring ways as they considered the needs of the community,” Majewski said.

Majewski’s students found the exercise to be deeply meaningful for them personally. “It built confidence, awareness of their knowledge and natural empathy.”

Listening to the insights and expertise of others is a valuable skill in today’s world, agreed Professor of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D. “Our society needs more practice in hearing what other people have to say.”

According to Dr. Tina Decker, chair of the nursing department, the exercise also gave the students the opportunity to really think about their professional roles. “Students got to act in the role of their profession. They were acting as nurses, teachers, counselors, and social workers, and not as students.”

It was a “disaster” that took a long time to plan. The idea for the interdisciplinary simulation came from a meeting that Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of Field Education Lisa Doot Abinoja attended several years ago, where a professor at another local university described a simulation exercise they had done.

“We are familiar with experiential learning here at Trinity, and I quickly recognized that we could do that here,” she said. Abinoja reached out to her Trinity colleagues in several different departments, who were enthusiastic about the idea. During the spring semester of 2020, Abinoja received a Collaborative Initiative Grant through Trinity’s Provost’s Office for the simulation.  “We originally planned to meet first in June 2020 for a Spring 2021 event,” she said. “With COVID, we quickly knew that wouldn’t happen and were able to delay a year.”

During that time, Abinoja, Decker, Majewski, Boerman-Cornell, Dr. Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, Director of the Online BSW Program and Associate Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Michael Dieter, Assistant Professor of Education, began doing a great deal of prework. That included adding the simulation exercise to each class’s syllabus with a specific learning outcome. “The main outcome was working in an interdisciplinary way and how students embodied their profession,” said Abinoja. Each professor provided equal weight to the assignment, which helped to ensure success. “For example, we did not want this to be extra credit for one class, while it would make up a third of the grade in another class,” she said.

The experience also allowed professors to work closely with each other in an interdisciplinary manner, said Boerman-Cornell. “It was fun to get to know our colleagues in a different way.”

Learning took place in ways the organizers didn’t anticipate, which added to the richness of the experience. “In a classroom setting, there are things that can’t be replicated in an event like this. Even the challenges we experienced were good for learning,” said Abinoja.

The event went so well that the organizers are looking to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Several participants will also be offering a presentation about the simulation at the International Christian Community of Teacher Educators (ICCTE) Conference at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., in May.  For Boerman-Cornell, the outgoing president of ICCTE, the conference will not only allow Trinity professors to share their experience. They will also have the opportunity to learn how other colleges around the country have conducted similar types of simulations and hear some of those best practices.

OPUS,  Trinity’s annual festival of student scholarship, is taking place on Wednesday, April 20.  The word “opus” is Latin for work. Whether it’s the arts & humanities, natural & applied sciences, or social sciences, students from all disciplines can present their work or attend this annual celebratory conference.

We invite you to attend OPUS 2022 and imagine the possibilities of your own OPUS!

OPUS SCHEDULE

12:30-12:45             OPUS Parade

12:45-1:15               Opening Ceremony

1:30-4:15                 Student Presentations

4:30-5:15                 Presentation Showdown

All students are given the opportunity to enter into a competition for all solo and group presentations. Top scorers advance to the Presentation Showdown where they give a 5-minute summary of their presentation in front of their peers and additional judges.

4:30-6:30                 Trinity Trolldown Dinner in the Dining Hall

5:00-6:00                 Dunk Tank Fundraiser for Ukraine

6:00-7:30                 Raffle & Closing Ceremony

7:30-8:30                 Senior Student/OPUS Art Reception

6:30-8:30                 GRUMPUS Graduate OPUS

9:00-10:00               Outcry

Special Thank you!

The Trinity Christian College community is grateful to alumni Yvette Madany (’85) and Peter Madany (’82), who generously provided financial support to underwrite expenses for OPUS 2022.

The OPUS 2022 committee is also grateful for the support of Trinity administration, faculty, and staff, including the departments of admissions, student life, physical plant, audio-visual services, information technology services, marketing and communications, and Creative Dining.

OPUS Committee Members

Brian Cerney

Inglebert Christiansen (Student Graphic Designer)

Sarah Hoeksema (co-chair)

Jeff Nyhoff

Mary LoGalbo

Deb Majewski (co-chair)

Katie Oomkes

Julianna Padilla (Student Government Representative)

Aron Reppmann

Omar Sweiss

Kevin Schenke

Maura Sukamto (Student Graphic Designer)

A Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Christian College prepares students to flourish in their careers and vocations. And our graduates are well-prepared. According to data from Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation and Career Development, 97.7 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2021 are employed or in graduate school. That far surpasses the nationwide average of 82.4 percent. 

Each year, Trinity seeks career outcome data from new alumni. For 2020-’21 degree conferrals, 82.1% of graduates are employed, 15.1% are enrolled in graduate school, and one is serving the United States in the military.  

“We are excited to see our students successfully launch into their life after Trinity and continue to make meaningful contributions in the world,” said Director of Vocation and Career Development Jeff Timmer. “This metric is just one way that Trinity demonstrates how it prepares students for positive engagement in their communities and for contributions to the Kingdom.” 

Companies that employ recent Trinity graduates include Amazon, BDO USA, Chicago Public Schools, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Topel Forman. 

The class of 2021 has a range of job titles, reflecting the diversity and depth of Trinity’s liberal arts education: medical surgical/oncological nurse; special education teacher; art therapist; communications coordinator; graphic designer; tax associate; internal events coordinator; pastor; business analyst; baseball coach; police officer; and occupational therapy technician, among others. 

Trinity graduates are also pursing further education at the graduate level at institutions such as Duke Divinity School, John Marshall Law School, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Avery Johnson ’21, is currently attending Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and she cited the support she received from Trinity in helping her on her journey.  “I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of the Trinity’s staff and professors,” said Johnson, who double majored in Biblical Studies and Communication Arts at Trinity and plans to become an ordained minister. 

For more information about Trinity’s 98% placement rate, visit Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation & Career Development. 

Students who receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees from Trinity aren’t just graduating from the best nursing program in the state of Illinois. In its inaugural rankings, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Trinity’s program as among the best in the country, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the largest universities in the United States. 

U.S. News also named the College to several other prestigious lists, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. (see “U.S. News Names Trinity a Top 20 School”) 

In the latest U.S. News rankings, Trinity was named among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States, taking its place among far larger colleges and universities. 

“Trinity’s Department of Nursing is dedicated to preparing nurses who are both academically excellent, and also ready to face the demands of providing hands on patient care. Our commitment to training nurses to excel in both theory and clinical practice, makes our graduates stand out when they enter the workforce all over the world,” said Associate Professor of Nursing and Department Chair Dr. Tina Decker ’06. “We prepare great BSN nurses who are ready to provide Christ-like care to those in need. This recognition from U.S. News affirms that. It is an honor to have the hard work of the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the broader Trinity community recognized in this way.” 

The College’s program has set the bar for nursing programs in many ways. In 2020, Trinity nursing graduates achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for the fifth time in six years. This success for Trinity’s top-ranked program represents the highest six-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.

Trinity’s Nursing program is also regularly ranked among the best BSN programs in Illinois, including by RegisteredNursing.org and RN to BSN.  

For Amy Nagelkirk ’92, president of the Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA), it is exciting to see Trinity’s nursing department recognized once again for its excellence. “It’s a tradition that I’ve always felt proud of while working in both Chicago and West Michigan.” 

One of the great strengths of Trinity’s nursing program is the generosity of its dedicated nursing alumni, including TANA members who support the Department of Nursing through student-related activities and fundraising, and foster personal and professional relationships among alumni, she said.  “At the height of the pandemic surge last November, we saw an increased number of nursing alumni volunteer to be part of our TANA mentoring program. Even as many were in the thick of it, struggling to get through their shifts and extra mandate shifts, they were still wanting to support students.”

TANA also provides endowed scholarships for nursing students. “This, year, TANA was able to award two $1,000 scholarships from that fund,” she said. “A program with that kind of support behind it is going to continue to thrive.”  

Trinity nursing students leave the College confident in what they believe and possess the skills and experience necessary to excel in their field for good, according to Colleges of Distinction. That is one reason that the organization has once again recognized Trinity’s top-ranked nursing program among several categories, including among Christian colleges and Illinois colleges. The organization has also recognized Trinity’s business and education programs and for career development. 

The organization cited several factors that led to this ranking for the nursing program: stability and excellence; validation from a nursing-specific accreditation agency; practical experiences; high mastery rates; dedicated advising and counseling; liberal arts exposure; high-impact practices; and industry connections. 

“The College of Distinction recognition underscores the spectacular work of Trinity faculty and the excellent engagement of Trinity students,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “The recognition of Trinity’s three largest academic departments highlights the breadth of Trinity’s academic excellence, while recognition in the career development category highlights the successful translation of that academic excellence into vocational preparation.” 

In recognizing Trinity, Colleges of Distinction specifically highlighted the College’s student-to-faculty ratio and high percentage of graduates who quickly find employment or enroll in grad school. “Trinity students are prepared for life beyond college thanks to their liberal arts curriculum that is grounded in Christian faith,” noted the organization. 

Among the other areas that set Trinity apart: 

Business 

Colleges of Distinction awards badges to institutions whose business degrees are multidisciplinary in nature and loaded with practical experiences for students to engage the wider world of business. Trinity’s business program was lauded for its real-world experience; industry connections; business ethics emphasis; collaborative learning; and dedicated advisors and counselors. 

Education 

Trinity’s education program excels in its commitment to nurturing and supporting future educators, Colleges of Distinction found. Among the aspects that set Trinity’s education program apart: stability; multidisciplinary exposure; practical experience; non-education specialization; dedicated advising and counseling; high-Impact practices; and industry connections. 

Career Development 

In the career development area, Colleges of Distinction recognizes Colleges that have demonstrated superior ability to think ahead about how their students will succeed after they graduate. “Our Career Development Colleges of Distinction does not just have a career services office on campus; they integrate future careers into the present curriculum,” the organization noted. 

Since 2000, Colleges of Distinction has recognized colleges based on four key areas: engaged students; great teaching; vibrant communities; and successful outcomes. 

–By Angie Fratto

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected life for most people, but maybe, most notably, those entering the medical field. It has been particularly difficult for higher education nursing departments across the country that were attempting to prepare their students for real-world experience.

Most programs in the United States shifted their focus to online learning in 2020, which meant in-person clinicals were no longer a viable option to train up the next generation of nurses. While Trinity made the tough, but necessary, decision to move to an online program in 2020, the faculty and staff in the Nursing Department worked tirelessly behind the scenes to find creative ways to ensure their students were still on the front lines, learning during a pandemic. This was not only online but in-person, hands on with patients, albeit while wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).

Department Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing Tina Decker ‘06, DNP made it her mission to get the students the work they desired to be fully prepared for their upcoming transition into their nursing careers.

According to Jamie Park ’21, she was amazed at the level of work involved to ensure each of the students was placed with in-person clinicals, a feat that she will be forever grateful for. “I know there was so much planning that went on behind the scenes and I can never thank Dr. Decker enough for all she did for each and every one of us,” she said.

Park acknowledged that it was a tough moment when she realized that she would be going home in 2020 and moving to an online program. The struggles of school in an online environment were heightened at home for Park, yet she found great support in her fellow classmates. The small, tight-knit group of seniors kept in touch with each other by text, phone, and email, keeping each other motivated and cared for–something she knew firsthand would not happen many places.

Here at Trinity, Park feels known, at home, and like she has a place in the world. She said, “Trinity Nursing program is ranked number one for a reason. It’s a challenging program for a reason, because it prepares you for the real world of nursing, and all the people here really, truly care for you.”

Anna Smagacz ’21 knows firsthand how strong the Trinity Nursing program is, as she started her journey to nursing at a different institution before transferring to Trinity. Her experience here has gone far beyond her expectations, and she said the nursing professors and staff always make her feel welcome, important, and part of something bigger than herself. She experienced the value of Trinity’s whole person approach to nursing, looking at the mind, body and spirit and valuing every part of that person. This unique view was inspiring to Smagacz and helped her view the nursing profession through a new, more empathetic lens. “This level of care, this holistic care, is not something you see everywhere, and it’s what makes Trinity stand out from other places.”

Both students highly complimented the professors and support staff in the Nursing department at Trinity during this laborious time. “Dr. Sarah Gouwens and Prof. Tammy Boll created a great environment – fun, yet still learning the necessities and skills we need to do the job. They shared their personal stories and gave real world experience, not just textbook knowledge” said Park. She also shared that when dealing with late night shifts at hospitals, Boll was always available any time day or night to answer questions. “She always worked to ensure her students were nothing but successful in their nursing fields,” said Park.

Another tangible way that the Nursing Department has worked to prepare students and establish the experience they need is through its participation in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) campaign to help vaccinate the public against COVID-19.

“At Trinity, our Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates are both clinically excellent and deeply caring,” said Decker. “Trinity’s Department of Nursing has taken the AACN Pledge and all clinical nursing majors will be participating in administering vaccinations within the community setting over the course of this semester.”

Through the AACN initiative, nursing schools pledge their support to safely engage faculty, students, and other stakeholders in the work underway to administer the vaccine and educate citizens on protecting themselves against this public health threat.

The top-ranked BSN program in the state of Illinois, Trinity’s graduates have achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for five of the past six years. Click here to learn more about Trinity’s nursing program.

Trinity’s Nursing program has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction based on four key areas: engaged students; great teaching; vibrant communities; and successful outcomes.

Along with the Nursing program, Colleges of Distinction recognized Trinity in multiple categories for the 2020-21 academic year, including among  Christian colleges and Illinois colleges. Other areas recognized by the organization include:

—Business Programs

—Education Programs

—Career Development

“Trinity Christian College has been changing students’ lives since 1959,” Colleges of Distinction noted, citing the individualized attention students receive, along with our extensive network throughout Chicago and dedicated faculty. “Through a Biblically informed liberal arts education, the College community endeavors to provide an environment of Christian integrity and love, enhancing and supporting the entire learning experience.”

In honoring Trinity’s academic programs, the organization noted the stability, practical experience, and dedicated advising and counseling Trinity students receive.

Trinity’s career development work was also praised for its integrated career exploration and preparation; accessible programs and training; and career-centered staff.

The recognitions and honors for Trinity’s top-ranked nursing program continue to accumulate!

RNCareers.org is the latest organization to name Trinity as the best BSN nursing program in the state of Illinois. Trinity has recently received similar accolades from RegisteredNursing.org, NursingProcess.org, and RNtoBSN. The College is also proud to have the highest six-year NCLEX average first-time pass rate of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.

“The COVID pandemic has reminded us with unmistakable clarity that nurses play such a crucial role in serving the common good and the well-being of communities,” said Trinity’s Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “Preparing nurses who possess excellent clinical skills and a deep sense that their work is in service of God and the wider world is right at the heart of Trinity’s mission. External validation like this is testimony to the excellent work of our faculty and to our amazing students.”

RNCareers.org helps nursing students in their search for a top RN program. “Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses,” according to the organization, which evaluated a number of factors in finding Trinity at the top of the class, including first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, the number of students taking the test, the program nursing accreditation and more.

Learn more about our top-ranked program and newly renovated facilities here.

When nursing students choose Trinity Christian College, they choose the program that is consistently recognized as the best in the state of Illinois.

Trinity has once again received that honor from nursing advocacy organization RegisteredNursing.org, which has named our program first among nearly 80 other nursing programs across the state.

“While so much has changed this last year, it feels extra special to know that our academic excellence in nursing education continues to be recognized,” said Department Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Tina Decker ’06. “We are proud that our graduates continue to be prepared to pass the NCLEX on their first attempt to enable them to work as the nurses that the world so desperately needs right now.”

Among many examples of how Trinity’s BSN program has demonstrated its commitment to graduating the best nurses, nursing students have continued to participate in in-person clinicals during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There are many schools that have gone virtual or remote for clinicals, which we stand firmly against,” said Decker. “The department is a strong advocate for having students continue with in-person clinical experiences, preparing them to be nurses during the pandemic.”

In giving Trinity the top ranking, the organization cited how Trinity’s BSN program prepares students both academically and clinically to care for patients’ physical, spiritual, and mental needs. “Students are able to gain hands-on learning in the simulation lab, allowing them to hone their skills in a safe and controlled environment,” the organization noted.

 In 2020, Trinity nursing graduates also achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for the fifth time in six years. This success for Trinity’s top-ranked program represents the highest six-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois. Trinity has also been recognized by the organization RN to BSN as the top-ranked BSN program in the state of Illinois.