Joshua Bender, who is graduating with his master of science in nursing in May, said his decision to choose nursing as a career path was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic., said his decision to choose nursing as a career path was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I studied pre-med in my undergraduate for two years before changing to business,” he said. “Then, in 2020, I started losing those who were close to me due to COVID-19. This was my call to the nursing profession.”
Joshua Bender, who is graduating with his master of science in nursing in May, said his decision to choose nursing as a career path was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bender received an associate of science degree from Monroe County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business entrepreneurship from Eastern Michigan University. He was drawn to UToledo for the Graduate Entry Master’s Program (GEM) for nursing, a program unlike anything he was offered in Michigan. GEM is an accelerated track designed for students interested in nursing who hold non-nursing bachelor’s degrees.
“I will say the knowledge I have learned from UToledo has enabled me to provide the best care for patients during my clinical rotations and observation days,” Bender said. “Even recently, my observation days have turned more hands-on than observing.”
The biggest challenge he faced while working towards his master’s degree was balancing his personal life with his academic life.
“At the start of my semester, I was diagnosed with an acute disease, which affected my academics for months,” Bender said. “And the death of family and friends was no stranger to me during each semester. Not to mention this program is accelerated and we had quizzes and multiple assignments due about every week.
“I wanted to give up after my first semester when I didn’t pass a class. I began to wonder if I was cut out for nursing.”
Despite the many challenges he faced, Bender said it was the discovery of his passion for nursing that helped him overcome these adversities.
“I started working as a nursing assistant for a local hospital, and it helped drive me by reminding me why I wanted to do this.”
Bender said that Dr. Holly Myers, an assistant professor of nursing, has been instrumental to his success as a nursing student.
“Since I started about two years ago, she has seen me grow as a person and as a nursing student every semester,” he said. “From passing conversations, I felt we were able to relate on past experiences, and she has helped me shape into the knowledgeable nursing student I am.”
Myers said that she will remember Bender as one of her more caring and resilient students.
“Joshua has the heart of a nurse,” Myers said. “He is one of the most empathetic and caring students I have had the pleasure of teaching.
“I look forward to watching Joshua become the amazing nurse he is destined to be.”
As he prepares for graduation, Bender said he is keeping his options open when it comes to job searching.
“I’m open to the possibility in staying around my hometown in Michigan and accepting job offers in other states,” he said. “I’ve also been interested in working in other countries such as Canada and France.”
After gaining more field experience, Bender said that he is interested in pursuing a doctorate in nursing to become a nurse practitioner for the field of psych mental health, an area that caught his interest during his clinical rotations. He also said that he hopes to pass on his nursing knowledge as a professor at a university one day.
