IU School of Nursing Bloomington (IUSON BL) graduate Becky Serfass hails from St. Louis, MO. Becky had already earned a BA in Psychology from IU with a minor in Spanish when she enrolled in our nursing program. “I just grew so fond of Bloomington,” she smiles, “that I decided to stay.”

Becky graduated from IUSON BL in 2017 and says she “can’t say enough good things” about the program.

“Not only did IUSON BL empower me with knowledge and critical thinking skills, the faculty, staff, and other students pushed me to be the best nurse I could be by pushing me outside of my comfort zone via tougher clinical rotations and simulations and supporting me through them. This gave me the confidence to handle difficult situations once I became a full-fledged nurse. The program also gave me incredible, unforgettable opportunities.”

These opportunities include her three years as a board member, then secretary and, finally, vice president of IUSON BL’s Student Nurses' Association (SNA), including an IUSON BL-funded trip to the SNA Annual National Conference. Through this experience, Becky learned the value of conferences for learning from others in the profession and sharing newfound knowledge with her fellow nursing students back in Bloomington – “a value which I carry to this day in my nursing practice.”

“I also had the phenomenal opportunity,” she continues, “to do honors research with Dr. Amy Hagedorn Wonder.” As part of IUSON BL's Honors Program, Becky and Dr. Wonder co-authored a research brief entitled, “You’re Teaching Evidence-Based Practice to BSN Students…But Are They Learning?”, which was published in Nursing Education Perspectives.

Becky and Amy also traveled to Columbus, OH for a collaborative podium presentation at the Professional Nurse Educators Group (PNEG) Conference. Additionally, Becky was able to present a poster presentation at a Sigma Theta Tau conference in Indianapolis, IN. “I am so grateful for all that I learned and all the ways I grew from the program,” she says.

Becky’s professional career began at IU Health Bloomington Hospital while she was still a student at IUSON BL. Becky worked as a patient care intern on 2N where she was able to shadow a full-time nurse. “This position really helped me become more comfortable with what nursing really looks like post-graduation,” Becky says. “I learned so much and felt so welcomed by the amazing 2N team that I accepted a full-time RN position on that floor after graduation.”

Although very early in her nursing career, Becky distinguished herself during her time on 2N by becoming a relief charge nurse; serving as a champion for the hospital’s Magnet Re-Designation Team; and being nominated to participate in the 2020 Nightingale Challenge, a global American Association of Nurses-sponsored initiative designed to help develop the next generation of nurses as leaders.

Becky currently works as a Certified Wound/Ostomy Nurse (CWON) at IU Health Bloomington Hospital, starting part-time in late December 2020 and transitioning to full-time in June 2021.

Becky first discovered her passion for wound care “during my time at IUSON. We had a clinical rotation which landed me in the IU Health Outpatient Wound Care Center, and I found that I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to do my nursing Capstone there, and (IUSON BL Lecturer) Sonita Ball worked hard to make it possible for me. I had such a great Capstone experience and learned so much from everyone there that it only cemented my passion for wound care.”