College of Nursing Dean's Advisory Board Invites First Undergraduate Representative
College of Nursing Junior Megan Auger is the first undergraduate nursing student to serve as a member on the Dean’s Advisory Board, where she represents and speaks for the student body in counsel to Dr. Janie Heath, dean and Warwick Professor of Nursing.
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Faculty Affairs Patricia Burkhart, PhD, RN, asked Auger to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Board after noticing Auger’s exceptional nursing qualities.
“She demonstrates outstanding leadership, maturity and dedication to the nursing profession,” said Burkhart. “Megan will be a strong and thoughtful student voice on the Dean’s Advisory Board.”
The 21-year-old also serves as the president of her nursing class and chair elect of the Undergraduate Nursing Activities and Advisory Council (UNAAC). When Auger is not studying or in class, she can be found playing on several intramural teams, exercising at the Johnson Center or working at Kennedy’s bookstore.
Auger’s nursing story begins her sophomore year of high school, when she witnessed several nurses taking care of her father after his open-heart surgery.
“He had some really great nurses and some nurses who weren’t so great. I thought, ‘I want to be a great nurse!’ said Auger. “I really wanted to care of people like my dad.”
According to Auger, most of her family is in education, but she was inspired by her grandmother who was a psychiatric nurse. “I thought that nursing would be a good marriage between science and education,” said Auger. “I chose nursing because I wanted a career in which I could always explore new areas and interact with and hopefully help the people in my community, wherever that may be.”
Last spring break, Auger’s community was Santo Domingo, Ecuador, where she participated in a weeklong Shoulder to Shoulder Global Health Brigade and worked with her classmates to improve several health concerns. The students worked in a clinic where they gained first-hand experience drawing blood and performing basic assessments, including taking vitals.
“There are people in need not only in Santo Domingo, but in our own community too. We just don’t think about it as much,” said Auger. “When you’re a nurse, you really have to think about the patient’s living conditions, and ask, ‘Why did they come in like this?’ We have to care for them beyond the healthcare setting.”
Auger plans to graduate in May 2017 with her BSN and plans to continue her education towards becoming a nurse practitioner. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatric health, specifically in a primary health care setting.
The Dean’s Advisory Board, previously The College of Nursing Advisory Board, was created in 2007 and provides advice and counsel to the Dean on matters for which external advice is critical.
The board meets twice each year and considers a variety of topics that may include long-range planning and philanthropic endeavors. Its members also advise on achieving the College’s goals for national and international prominence in teaching, service and research.
The board comprises alumni, friends and students who collectively represent a diverse and comprehensive expertise and will serve as ambassadors for the College of Nursing, increasing awareness of the College of Nursing in Kentucky and across the nation.
