November 10, 2014 - "Every day I go to work is Veterans Day," says Anthony Nickele, a senior from Detroit and a young man who knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a nurse. He is currently working at the Veterans Affairs NJ Health Care System, East Orange Campus as a Valor Nurse Resident, a type of nursing intern. He will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Anthony was first drawn to Seton Hall because of the scholarships, but what he didn't know was that Seton Hall has a strong partnership with the VA, and his work there would shape his student experience in unexpected ways. The Seton Hall connections to the VA are numerous: many nursing alumni work there, College of Nursing students do their clinical rotations on site, and a number of nursing faculty members have long histories working with the VA.Anthony and the VA nurses see many veterans returning from the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan. They also see inpatient care with older veterans, including some WWII and Korean War vets. They all come with the ailments that were specific to that war, body and soul. "In the nursing program, we study holistic health from the beginning - care for the body, mind and spirit. Moving from the classroom into the VA hospital setting, it was very easy for me to assimilate to caring for the whole veteran. I was able to work this summer on the spinal cord injury floor with one of the most renowned physicians in spinal cord surgery, period. Learning the specifics of horrible war injuries was really humbling. The vets fight for our freedom, the least I can do is give my time to help them - whether alleviating pain or putting a smile on their faces. They deserve the world. It's a great honor and a privilege to be able to take care of these guys."
Margaret Huryk Margaret Huryk: What would be a meaningful way to thank a vet? "Volunteer," read more>>>
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