USC Salkehatchie Rural Nursing Initiative

05/16/2024

Whitney Bishop (BSN, 2014; MSN, 2024)is an ER Nurse at Colleton Medical Center who started her nursing career at USC Salkehatchie. "Through the Salkehatchie nursing program, I was able to get an education in my community and become a nurse at our local hospital. I love that I am able to give back to the community I live in. It’s rewarding to see people in public that you cared for," she said. "Salk has also given me the opportunity to be a nursing faculty member. Teaching has become a passion of mine and knowing that I have been able give back to future nurses the way my nursing instructors did for me makes my heart full."

05/10/2024

Jessa Hollingsworth (BSN, 2012; DNP, 2017) is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with Aiken Psychiatric and Psychotherapy Associates who started her health care career at USC Salkehatchie, a career she says she stumbled across because of the local availability of the program.

“After finishing my BSN, I worked in an inpatient psychiatric acute stabilization hospital for several years and eventually wound up managing the ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) program at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. There are really no words to describe the lifesaving experiences that I witnessed through our ECT program, and I really thrived in taking on a more independent role through this job. I went back to complete a graduate degree through University of South Carolina and have a career that I am truly proud of. I serve as one of very few psychiatric clinicians in the Aiken/Barnwell area and at this point have served thousands of patients with their mental health concerns in inpatient, intensive facility outpatient, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and outpatient private practice. I have had the opportunity to pay my awesome USC experience forward by serving as a clinical preceptor for numerous graduate nursing students. Teaching about psychiatry has become my passion and something I see myself doing for the rest of my professional life. I love knowing that I played a role in reducing the massive shortage of mental health professionals in our state. I would have never guessed that taking a spontaneous chance at Salkehatchie would have such a huge payoff or would change my life in so many important ways. I could not be more thankful,” Jessa says.

05/08/2024

Our nurses are making a difference! Justice Murphy (BSN, 2016) cares for our veterans as a registered nurse at the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center. "I am proud to serve those who served us. Our veterans deserve only the best and being able to provide care for them is very rewarding," she said. Justice earned her BSN through Salkehatchie's partnership with USC Columbia in 2016.

05/06/2024

Happy National Nurses Week! Today, we celebrate the members of the Class of 2024 who received their BSN degrees through our partnership with USC Beaufort. They are: Shavone Arthette Brown, Kenleigh Morgan Crosby, Victoria Dawn French, Khelsey Cox Hadwin, Ashlyn Carson Langdale, Kayla Wynette Robertson, Emely Shannon, Sarah Lyn Tuten, and Sydney Widrick. We know that these graduates will make a difference!

04/30/2024

Nurses Week is May 6 -12 and we would love to share your story on how you make a difference in the health care industry.

Please complete the form at https://palmetto.jotform.com/241204412034034 so that we can share your success!

04/28/2024

Welcome, Janiyah, to the USC Salkehatchie Nursing Program! We look forward to seeing you on campus this fall!

Congratulations to Janiyah Connell who was awarded the 2024 Commencement Scholarship for $5,000 at our commencement celebration. Janiyah will graduate from Hampton County High School in May and will attend the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie as a nursing major this fall. She shared that being able to earn her nursing degree locally was a deciding factor in choosing Salkehatchie.

04/27/2024

Thank you Genesis Healthcare, Inc. for supporting future nurses!

USC Salkehatchie gratefully recognizes Genesis Healthcare as our 2024 Friend of Campus. Over the past four years, Genesis Healthcare, Inc. has partnered with USC Salkehatchie to provide scholarships to students in our rural nursing initiative program. This financial support has made obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing possible and affordable for many of our students and is vital in addressing the rural health care crisis our region faces. Additionally, Genesis Healthcare has provided funding for our athletic teams and has expressed its continued support in advancing our mission. We are thankful for the commitment to our community, our students and our campus.

03/20/2024

Help us unlock a $10,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge gift!

We need your help to unlock a dollar-for-dollar match for a $10,000 challenge gift from Dr. Craig Ward. We only need $6,000 more to reach our goal! Your donation to any fund will be matched with a gift to USC Salkehatchie's Unrestricted Fund to benefit the areas most needed on our campus. If you are able, please make a gift of as little as $5 using this link: https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/USCSalk . Every Little Piece Makes a Big Impact.

03/20/2024

WE CAN DO THIS! Help us get to first place and beat Darla Moore! Help USC Salkehatchie win the POWER HOUR CHALLENGE by participating in from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

If you are able, please make a gift of as little as $5 to USC Salkehatchie from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. using this link: https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/USCSalk .

Can't make the time frame? Please consider giving at a time that is convenient for you. Remember, every little piece makes a big impact.

03/20/2024

Help USC Salkehatchie win the POWER HOUR CHALLENGE by participating in from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

If you are able, please make a gift of as little as $5 to USC Salkehatchie from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. using this link: https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/USCSalk . YOU PICK THE FUND!

Can't make the time frame? Please consider giving at a time that is convenient for you. Remember, every little piece makes a big impact.

03/20/2024

GIVE FOR GARNET IS TODAY! It's time to leave your mark! Use this link https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/USCSalk to GIVE DURING OUR POWER HOUR FROM 1 P.M. – 3 P.M. TO MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT. Your generosity can shape the future of education, research, and innovative programs - like the Rural Nursing Initiative - at USC Salkehatchie. You can make a difference. Big or small, every gift counts! Let's come together today and make a lasting impact! https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/USCSalk

03/14/2024

Give 4 Garnet kicks off March 20, but you can help us win bonus funds NOW! By LIKING and SHARING this post, you can help USC Salkehatchie win bonus funds! Help make an impact by helping us spread the word. https://youtu.be/N26mEplR9tA 🎉

02/23/2024

USC Salkehatchie is pleased to recognize the students in the BSN program at Salkehatchie who have achieved the Fall 2023 President's or Dean's List: President’s List: Bayleigh Crosby, Victoria French, Ashlyn Langdale, Kayla Robertson; Dean’s List: Kenleigh Crosby, Sydney Garrett, Aubrey Martin, Savannah Meyer, Jessica Reece, Emely Shannon, Sarah Lyn Tuten, Sydney Widrick. "These students demonstrate exceptional dedication to academic excellence and a commitment to their future careers in healthcare.," Nursing Academic Program Manager April Wolfe said. Congratulations on this well-deserved accomplishment.

02/20/2024

Abigail Barr, sixth grader at Branchville Middle School, had the opportunity to job shadow April Wolfe last week. Of course, Abigail wants to be a nurse!

02/12/2024

Ready to start your nursing career? Find out why USC Salkehatchie's nursing program is the right choice for you!

11/21/2023

USC Salkehatchie's Rural Nursing Initiative is making a difference!

Dean April Cone, Anna Carol Ptacin and April Wolfe presented on the positive impact that USC Salkehatchie's Rural Nursing Initiative is having on the state's nursing workforce at the South Carolina Office of Rural Health's Annual Conference.

11/12/2023

Our nursing students are already making a difference in their community!

11/06/2023

Read about USC Salkehatchie's nursing instructor Anna Carol Ptacin's journey to the classroom.

Anna Carol Ptacin’s nursing career has come full-circle, returning to the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie in 2023 as a nursing instructor for its Rural Nursing Initiative Partnership with the University of South Carolina Beaufort. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the partnership program with USC Columbia, Anna started her career as a nurse in the progressive care unit at St. Francis Hospital where she worked for six years. In 2021, she decided to try something new and joined the Roper Berkeley Emergency Department as an ER nurse. Read more about Anna Carol at https://www.sc.edu/about/system_and_campuses/salkehatchie/about/news/2023/growing-our-own.php.

07/21/2023

Congratulations to the BSN Class of 2023 who ALL passed the NCLEX-RN on their very FIRST attempt! What an amazing accomplishment! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see where the wonderful profession of nursing takes you!

07/14/2023

05/01/2023

Congratulations to the graduates of USC Salkehatchie's Rural Nursing Initiative who not only participated in commencement from USC Beaufort on April 28, but who also participated in the nursing pinning ceremony, an important celebration of the transition from student to nurse.

04/20/2023

There's still time to ! Thanks so much to our wonderful supporters. We appreciate all you do for USC Salkehatchie! You have until 11:59 p.m. to make a gift that can change the lives of our students and the citizens of our community! Every little piece makes a big impact! It's easy to do. Just visit https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/salk

04/19/2023

A USC Salkehatchie education doesn’t just transform the lives of our students — it also prepares them to transform the lives of others. Please because supporting today’s students paves the way for a better tomorrow. It's easy! Just visit
https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/salk

04/19/2023

Are you ready? Give4Garnet is Wednesday, April 19! Please join the USC Salkehatchie community in helping our students succeed. Your gift to USC Salkehatchie supports students who are making positive impacts in our communities. Take a few minutes April 19 to support USC Salkehatchie at https://give4garnet.sc.edu/amb/salkehatchie

04/14/2023

Ready to start that healthcare career? Prepare to succeed by taking our "Success in College & Nursing" course this summer! Students will learn techniques to thrive in the classroom, as well as explore healthcare careers and earn certifications. The class will meet Tuesdays from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. from May 30 - Aug. 10. Need more information? Call us at 843-549-6314.

03/29/2023

Check out Dean April Cone's feature in USC Today as she talks about her connection to the region and her mission to let the community know about the great opportunities USC Salkehatchie has to offer. https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2023/03/april_cone_salkehatchie.php #.ZCRDsHbMJPY

03/14/2023

Congratulations to Salkehatchie nursing graduate Kenneddy Stivender, RN who was named Summerville Medical Center's Gold Star Employee of the Month! Well done!

02/28/2023

April Wolfe, nursing program manager, and Chris Green, director of admissions, had a great time at Branchville High School's Career Day.