FairfieldNow

by Chris O'Connor

Juggling schedules and time commitments is something every successful college student learns to do. And then there's a special breed who take that juggling and commitment to the extreme. Consider, for example, the varsity athletes at Fairfield who play at the Division I level while also majoring in nursing. Last year, 18 students claimed this distinction; this year there are 20.

Like most Fairfield students, nursing majors take five classes per semester and complete a 60-credit liberal arts core curriculum on the road to their degree. The pace of their juggling becomes greater as they progress because during the second semester of sophomore year, they begin to factor in clinical rotations at off-campus sites where they will practice the skills, poise, and competence they are taught in their classroom and labs. Keep in mind that Stag student-athletes spend an additional 20 hours a week in athletic-related activities, including practices, weight training, and competitions.

Despite the demands on his time, Dan Ryan '07, captain of the men's cross country team, says having the full schedule has helped him. "As a freshman, I didn't run cross country and my days were very unstructured," he says. "Now, though I don't have a free second, I know what I need to do and when I need to do it, to get everything accomplished."

Janna Breitenwischer '08, who plays defense and midfield on the women's soccer team, takes full responsibility for staying on top of her studies. "In high school, if I missed something, I could let it slide and I'd still do OK," she says. "Now I know that I need to get things done on time, and make things up quickly if I'm away for a game, or I will really fall behind." She figures out conflicts in advance and is proactive in talking with her professors, which usually results in a solution that works for both.

"Our scholar-athletes are typically quite strong students, so they really are top-notch in their abilities to excel in both areas and manage their time appropriately," says Dr. Theresa (Tavella '79) Quell, assistant dean. "As health care providers, we feel very strongly that students should be well-rounded, and often it is a sport or other non-academic activity that helps 'maintain their sanity' when the stress level rises."

The first-year nursing curriculum consists mainly of the University's core courses, so students' schedules are quite flexible at the outset. "We strongly encourage prospective students to continue their sport for at least freshman year, after which they can decide if they want to continue," says Dr. Quell. In most cases, they do.

Of the University's 19 varsity teams, nursing majors currently participate in field hockey, women's golf, softball, volleyball, rowing, men's and women's cross country, and women's lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and tennis.

"I sometimes work with the athletes when they have to miss a nursing lab in order to be at a game, says Diane Mager, director of the Learning Resource Laboratory. "We make arrangements to go over what they miss, or we work it out so that they can sit in on another lab on a different day. The same is true for test-taking."

Depending on the sport, student-athletes usually practice either before or after their clinicals, and seldom need to miss one for sports unless the team makes the playoffs. In these cases, students schedule additional clinical time to complete their hours.

An integral part of a nursing major's preparation, clinicals take place at hospitals, agencies, and long-term care facilities in the area. Under the supervision of a Fairfield professor, students engage in direct patient care and gain exposure to various facets of the field including surgical, mental health, pediatric, and geriatric nursing. Fairfield students also do a rotation at the School's Health Promotion Center in Bridgeport, where they work with underserved populations, educating them about health issues, and sharing tips on health and wellness topics.

"Clinicals help reinforce that this is what I am going to be doing for a living after college," says Ryan. "They have helped me realize that being a nurse is in fact what I want to do."

Finding time to study is a challenge for both Ryan and Breitenwischer. Ryan spends nearly every night at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, often staying until the building closes at midnight. For Breitenwischer, finding time for homework is a little more difficult. "I have two night classes, so that cuts into my time. I do most of my work the other two nights and on weekends when we don't have games. When we have road games," she laughs, "my ride on the bus is with books open."

Photo: Nursing student-athletes practice all the time ... in class, clinicals, lab, field, and court. Five of the School's 18 varsity players are (l-r): Nikki Zoller '08, Melissa Saviski '08, Lynze Murphy '09, Dan Ryan '07, and Courtney Price '09.