But some things remain unchanged: the nurses’ desire to help others and the school’s commitment to educate nurses for the Lancaster community. Mary Grace Simcox, EdD, RN, Dean of the School, says she feels that the commitment of Lancaster General Hospital and the Board of Directors has been unwavering and strong. “Lancaster General Hospital has always remained committed to its mission of training healthcare professionals for the good of all Lancaster County residents,” she says.

Although economic conditions forced some hospitals to close the doors to their nursing schools, Lancaster General Hospital took the opposite approach—transforming the school into a degree-granting college, expanding allied health science offerings, introducing an evening program and more.

Lancaster resident Michael Gonzalez is one student who has benefited from having the school in the community. He decided to become a nurse after caring for his mother, who passed away from colon cancer. “God was showing me a new direction that he wanted me to go,” Michael says. “Even though it was a sad time, I enjoyed caring for my mom.”

With his wife’s support, Michael decided to change careers. Formerly a senior art director for a local book publisher, he is a graduate of both McCaskey High School and Bloomsburg University.

He chose Lancaster General’s nursing school because of its excellent reputation. He graduates in May 2004 and hopes to pursue critical care or hospice nursing. Michael is an example of some of the biggest changes in nursing schools—more male and non-traditional students. There are six males in his class of 32 students. The first male to graduate from Lancaster General’s school was Michael Leisey in May 1974—only 29 years ago.

Martha Gingrich, BSN, CCRN, RN, was a student shortly before males started to graduate from the school. Since graduating in 1970, she has spent her entire career at Lancaster General Hospital, where she manages the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Her class was among the first to live in the “new dorm,” which is now being removed as part of the hospital’s expansion.

Martha remains actively involved in the Alumni Association, which helps provide scholarships for nursing students and financial contributions to the school. “I see those duties as being prime functions of the alumni,” she says.

Martha also supports the steps the school has taken to recruit talented nursing candidates, including the evening and weekend programs that allow non-traditional or second career students to attend the school. The summer nursing extern program has also enabled nurses in her areas to work more closely with the students to educate them about critical care nursing.

Like Martha, Alice Keller, Class of 1950, spent her career at Lancaster General Hospital, retiring in 1991. Alice remembers the days when nurses wore starched white uniforms and caps. Nurses now wear different types of uniforms and are no longer required to wear their caps. Some responsibilities of student nurses have also changed. When Alice was in school, nurses helped prepare special diet meals and packaged their department’s supplies for sterilization, tasks other departments now handle.

“When I think about when I first started as a nurse, I’m amazed by the advancements in technology and healthcare,” Alice says, remembering how patients would be admitted with ailments such as polio. She also recalls the days before “day surgery” when sending patients home hours after a surgery would not have been safely possible.

Mildred McGuigan, Class of 1940, fondly recalls the time spent with her classmates, especially in the nurses’ dorm. “We had such wonderful times getting to know each other,” she says. Her class was so close that they still hold regular reunions.

Like Alice, Mildred admits that while some aspects of nursing school have changed, the education student nurses receive has always been of the highest quality. When Mildred was a student, nurses first attended classes for three months before they began to work in the hospital. When they worked in the hospital, they worked 12-hour shifts with two hours a day and one afternoon a week off-duty. Nurses attended school for three years, instead of the current two-year program.

The formula of classroom education and clinical experience works well. More than 4,000 nurses have graduated from the school. Many dedicate their careers to Lancaster General Hospital, while others share their skills at other facilities locally, nationally and even internationally.

For more information, visit the Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences Web site, or call 290-4912.