State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) nursing student Arianna Orozco-Schedlen was awarded the Pat Kuebler Memorial Scholarship during the nurses pinning ceremony Friday, May 5, at SCF’s Neel Performing Arts Center.
Four dozen graduating nurses received their nursing pins during the ceremony. Along with fellow nurses on stage and in the audience, the graduates recited the International Pledge for Nurses. The pinning ceremony included a welcome from Dr. Beverly Hindenlang, SCF’s dean of nursing and health professions. Dick Fenstermaker, president of Hospital Volunteers of Venice, and Vernon DeSear, vice president of Marketing for Manatee Healthcare System, made presentations.
Cassandra Holmes, executive director of the State College of Florida Foundation, presented the award to Orozco-Schedlen, who had perfect attendance through her four semesters of clinicals.
Pat Kuebler was an assistant administrator in charge of nursing for Sarasota Memorial Hospital before she came to teach at Manatee Junior College, now SCF. While teaching for four years she had a profound effect on her students. She died in 1981 from cancer. In 1985, the nursing department of Manatee Memorial Hospital, made up of many of her former students, established the scholarship in her name for students who exemplify her character, compassion and dedication to nursing.
Orozco-Schedlen is consistently excellent in the clinical setting and actively seeks learning opportunities, Holmes said. She has taken full advantage of her “field trips” to other units or to observe procedures. She has excellent bedside manner, compassion and critical thinking skills. During her first clinical, she was caring for a patient with shingles who did not want a student – or anyone else – to bathe her. Orozco-Schedlen was able to determine the patient was afraid the student or nursing assistant would contract her shingles. She explained the contact precaution procedures and reassured the patient, who finally agreed to be bathed. It is for that sort of dedication and compassion that the scholarship is awarded.
For information about SCF’s nursing program, visit SCF.edu/nursing. For more information on creating a memorial scholarship contact Cassandra Holmes, executive director SCF Foundation, at holmesc@scf.edu.
