BGSU nursing alumna guides current student in the field

Senior Audrey Simpson learns from Madison Schroeder ’23 in hospital’s labor and delivery unit

Just two years after Bowling Green State University sent its first nursing graduates into the workforce, young alumni in the field already are giving back to current students.

For senior Audrey Simpson, her placement came with the best of news: Her preceptor was a BGSU alumna working as a labor and delivery nurse who had been exactly where she was just years earlier.

Madison Schroeder ’23 was in the first cohort of graduates from the BGSU School of Nursing, which is now home to the largest enrolled BSN program in northwestern Ohio.

For Schroeder, the opportunity to be a mentor for a current student was a full-circle moment.

“When I got the email saying it was a BGSU student, I was so excited,” Schroeder said. “To see how much the program has grown and how far it’s come from when I was the first class has been super cool, and Audrey did so well.

“From that first shift, she stepped in to help, showed eagerness to do things and really blossomed throughout the semester.”

As a labor and delivery nurse at ProMedica Bay Park Hospital in Oregon, Ohio, east of Toledo, Schroeder mentored Simpson as she put skills gained at BGSU into practice in a real-world setting.

For Simpson, who hails from the Cleveland area, the chance to spend more than 130 hours with a knowledgeable preceptor who had started from the same place and advanced quickly into the field was a rewarding experience that led directly to mastering key skills before graduating.

"Madison was amazing because she taught me a variety of skills and about different labor and delivery concepts that I had previously learned in class but hadn't had the chance to witness in real life," Simpson said. "My top three goals were learning how to accurately assess and interpret fetal heart rate monitors, how to properly document, and how to perform a thorough newborn assessment. Madison carefully guided me step by step through all these skills, which led to my success in reaching these goals by the end of my practicum experience."

For a career built upon helping patients on what is often one of the most challenging and memorable days of their lives, being a registered nurse in labor and deliverly requires a particular skill set.

Schroeder said pregnant patients lean on their nurses in such an intimate way, so bedside manner is a critically important part of the role.

“One of the girls I work with always says, ‘I may not remember you, but you’ll always remember me,’ and that’s something that has always stuck with me,” Schroeder said. “Patients really do remember their nurses, and part of our job is to be that calm in the storm because they’re most likely very nervous.”

Simpson said the chance to coach a pregnant patient from intake to birth provided both confidence and the knowledge she was on the right career path for her.

Following Simpson's shifts in the labor and delivery unit, the pair would revisit the day's events as a means of additional support.

"Even after all my shifts, she would text me so we could debrief, and she would ask me how I was doing and if I had any questions or wanted to talk about anything I saw that night," she said. "We would break down our shifts so I could fully understand what happened and why.

“I think Madison really instilled in me the knowledge I need to transition to being an RN within a labor and delivery unit.”

Simpson said having a BGSU nursing graduate who helped along the way was an invaluable experience.

As she prepares to graduate on May 3, Simpson said she’s thankful she had Schroeder as her preceptor.

“From my first IV to administering more advanced medications, she was always instilling me with a lot of confidence, and if I had questions, she would walk me through everything,” Simpson said. "I'm very grateful I had the chance to have this experience with her. She has been the perfect role model and has shown me exactly the type of nurse I want to one day become."