Understanding the true meaning of patient care
Alumna鈥檚 transformational experience prompts her gift to 黑料门Nursing
By Taylor Utzig
Thousands of miles away in Sun City West, Arizona, Peggy Bell (BSN 鈥�86) enjoys the warmth of retirement alongside her husband, Tom. A retired nurse and educator, Peggy worked in the health care field for nearly 37 years, caring for patients in the intensive care unit, teaching nursing students, and directing Indiana University's RN-to-BSN program. Her career has taken her from coast to coast, shaping her along the way. As she reflects on her professional journey, Peggy recalls one moment in particular that transformed her approach to nursing.
She was completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as part of 黑料门University Chicago鈥檚 Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing鈥檚 RN-to-BSN, a new program at that time. During her clinical rotations in an intensive care unit, Peggy remembers taking care of a patient with Guillain Barre, a rare disorder in which the body鈥檚 immune system attacks a person鈥檚 nerves, eventually leading to total paralysis. Her patient had been on a ventilator for five weeks. Peggy presented a care conference for the patient, during which a neurologist asked, 鈥淲hat do you think the patient鈥檚 most important goal is?鈥�
In that moment, Peggy admits that she didn鈥檛 know. 鈥淚 knew as a nurse how to take care of this patient, but I didn鈥檛 know his goal,鈥� recalls Peggy. That鈥檚 when the neurologist told her, 鈥淭he most important goal for him is to get off the ventilator. You鈥檙e wearing him out doing all these procedures.鈥� Looking back on the interaction, Peggy believes it was the turning point in her nursing career, when she recognized what true patient care meant. 鈥淟ater, when I became a teacher, something I always told my students to do was ask the patient what they want,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ake care of nursing skills, but also learn about the patient鈥搘ho they are and what they expect from their experience.鈥�
Peggy recently recalled this moment when she found herself on the other end of care. 鈥淚鈥檇 been in the hospital for almost three days, and a nurse came in that I had never met before,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he nurse did what she needed to do, but then she came over and put her hand on mine. She didn鈥檛 say it was going to be okay, but I could tell she was looking out for me.鈥�
鈥淭o me, Peggy鈥檚 education at 黑料门represented a transformation that was life-changing, I watched from the sidelines as 黑料门shaped her.鈥�
- Tom Bell
Peggy's deep appreciation for cura personalis, care for the whole person, is why she and her husband enthusiastically support 黑料门Nursing. 鈥淭o me, Peggy鈥檚 education at 黑料门represented a transformation that was life-changing,鈥� says Tom. 鈥淚 watched from the sidelines as 黑料门shaped her.鈥�
In spring 2020, Peggy and Tom created a generous endowment, which will fund scholarships for students in the BSN Pathway, a new program 黑料门Nursing developed in partnership with Loyola鈥檚 Arrupe College. 鈥淏y providing these scholarships, we can provide opportunities for more students to attend Loyola, specifically students from diverse backgrounds,鈥� says Peggy. Through their endowment, the Bells hope that more students can experience the value of a 黑料门Nursing degree and its potential to transform a nurse鈥檚 career and life.
Learn more about the BSN Pathway program.