Three Generations Attend Saint Luke's Nursing Program

Sara Nelson can hardly wait to graduate this December with her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. Because of the pandemic, she has only had one semester face-to-face in a classroom. Her mother, Lisa, graduated with her BSN in 2006 when Saint Luke’s College was located on Ward Parkway in an office building. Lisa had a family and was working when she attended school. Virginia Vermilye Riley, Lisa’s mother, and Sara’s grandmother lived in the residence hall and graduated from the diploma program in 1967. Three generations, all nurses attending the same school, but with vastly different educational experiences.

 

Sara, Lisa, and Virginia are nurses who represent how much nursing education has changed and remained the same. A passion for serving patients, for dedicating your life to caring and compassion for others is the critical link for this family and for all nurses. Sadly, Virginia died in 2004, but her love of nursing continues to inspire her daughter and granddaughter. Lisa worked in the Heart Transplant Unit at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City when Sara was growing up. This unit has done 902 transplants, and whenever one of their patients is admitted to the hospital for other conditions, they are also seen by the Heart Transplant Unit professionals. So, the staff get to know their patients very well, and when Sara was young, she visited her mom at work and helped make name tags for the patient Christmas party.

 

Lisa works full-time at the Veterans Affairs in their home-based primary care program but continues to work PRN on the Heart Transplant Unit. Sara has an internship on the Unit and a job offer upon graduation.

 

Pat (Harms) Klase, ’67, became best friends with Virginia in nursing school and Lisa grew up listening to the two of them chat on the phone.

 

“We were an unlikely pair — Ginny a girl from the Bronx and me a farm girl from northwest Missouri. But we formed a friendship that lasted until her death — about 40 years. We were roommates in school and afterwards. We never ran out of anything to talk about,” said Klase remembering their friendship. “Her kids always said when they knew it was me on the phone, 'see you in an hour'… so we TRIED to keep the calls to an hour. We had a lot of laughs and tears together and yes, we managed to get into a little trouble (in nursing school) — not much, though. She was the best friend, nurse and confidant!”

 

Offering advice to new nursing students, Lisa said that nursing school is “not for the faint of heart! Make sure you’re ready for it and that you really want it.”

 

But, she added, “Nursing can take you anywhere.” Virginia, Lisa and now Sara. Different educational experiences, same destination.