Grey's Anatomy, ER, Scrubs, House, M*A*S*H*...

These television shows, and many others often show a glamorized and sometimes unrealistic look at the field of nursing. A student entering the nursing field may be surprised to learn how rigorous their studies will be but they will graduate with not only a degree but also a passion for helping others.

Rebecca Morales, a senior nursing student at Lenoir-Rhyne, has learned many practical lessons in the classroom and nursing lab but her compassion for her patients is an attribute that can't be taught.

From Hudson, N.C., Morales was recently nominated to receive the Spirit of Nursing Award, a national award that is given by Army Nurse Corps in cooperation with the National Student Nurses' Association. The award was created to promote excellence by honoring exceptional nursing students. To be eligible for the award, the student must demonstrate a commitment to excellence through community, professional and academic achievements.

"As an outstanding undergraduate nursing student, Rebecca was nominated by the School of Nursing as one who best exemplifies the ‘Spirit of Nursing'," says Rachel Cozort, assistant professor of nursing.

As a senior in high school, Morales was taking an Anatomy and Physiology course and had the opportunity to see a presentation by a BSN Nurse from a local hospital which lead to her career path as a nurse.

One of the greatest rewards of nursing is interacting with the patients and as Morales says, "Even though some patients may go home with many medications or therapies, I have joy in my heart to know that they are better than when they came into the hospital." Of course she has also been faced with some of the challenges of knowing that not everyone will get better. "As a nurse, I wish I could cure everyone but we know that is impossible in this imperfect world," Morales explained. "I just have to do my best to keep patients comfortable and allow them to have the best quality of life possible," she continued.

The nursing program at LRU began in 1960. Since that time over 940 students have graduated from the department of nursing, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing. The program was accredited by the National League of Nursing in 1969 and has maintained continuous accreditation status since that time. In 2005 the faculty voted to change accrediting agencies and sought accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing. Since 2005, the program has been fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing. The Lenoir-Rhyne program was the fourth in the state of North Carolina to gain accreditation and the first fully accredited church-related program. The program also has full approval from the North Carolina State Board of Nursing.

After graduation in May, Morales will take the nursing exam and plans to work in a hospital on a critical care or telemetry unit. Her long-term goal is to continue her education and eventual become a family nurse practitioner.