Meet a nursing student who found the parallels between founding her own charity and her future career
At just 11 years old, Nina Thompson learned the power of teamwork after founding a nonprofit organization to support families experiencing domestic violence. Now a fourth-year nursing student at Case Western Reserve University, Thompson continues to see that in action.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Thompson launched Pillows for Peace as a child to support children who were being removed from their home due to domestic violence.
“These children often left their homes with nothing at a moment's notice,” she said.
Working with local Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern PennsylvaniaIn her community, she raised money to buy care package supplies, including pillows, pillowcases, toiletries, toys, books and more. A key component of these care packages were handmade drawings to match the pillowcase design.
Thompson relied on members of the community, including churches, schools and other groups, who contributed drawings for the bags. Over time, her work evolved to include care packages to women going to court to receive protections from abuse and monetary donations for special events.
“Nothing that I have done with Pillows for Peace would have been possible without the love, support and generosity from community members,” said Thompson. “The same goes for nursing school and working in healthcare. Without teamwork, we would not be able to provide effective, high-quality patient care. Each member of the healthcare team plays an essential role in patient care that helps promote positive patient outcomes. A strong, collaborative team, not only, delivers effective patient care, but also supports each other emotionally on the hardest days.”
She considers teamwork the hallmark of effective, quality patient care. Thompson has had plenty of opportunities to see it firsthand. She’s worked in the emergency rooms at Penn Highlands Mon Valley and University Hospitals, and completed a 280-hour one-on-one practicum at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus Emergency Department.
The practical training emphasized by Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing is what drew Thompson to CWRU in the first place.
She’s also honed her leadership skills through the President's Leadership Development Program and positions with the Undergraduate Student Nurses Association.
Learn more about how these leadership opportunities have helped Thompson grow as a leader and nurse.
1. What about the President's Leadership Development Program (PLDP) appealed to you?
The PLDP appealed to me because it was something I never really thought about before: formal leadership training. I was open to an opportunity that would allow me to learn something new and grow as a leader.
2. How has this program contributed to your educational experience?
PLDP has helped me learn a lot about myself. Being intentional and taking time to reflect on the experiences I have had throughout the program and throughout life, has helped me understand my strengths, values, motivations, and even recognize areas where I can improve. Having conversations with my other cohort members regarding these topics has allowed me to understand things that come naturally to me are not necessarily what come naturally to others and recognizing that is extremely important when it comes to teamwork. Utilizing everyone’s individual strengths and having a team with diverse backgrounds and skillsets is extremely important and will help a team effectively achieve their goals.
3. What is your fondest memory from the program?
One of my fondest memories from the program is when we had to schedule a meeting time our junior year, and we were able to do it in five minutes. Afterward, we all just looked at each other and laughed and thought back to the time (freshman year) when it took us over an hour to find a time that we could all meet.
4. What inspired you to pursue nursing?
For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in nursing. Working with patients and caring for others feels very natural to me. Although there can be physically and emotionally exhausting days, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I enjoy getting to talk to my patients and hearing their stories and making them comfortable during a challenging time. I also like that there are so many career opportunities for nurses.
5. What are your future career goals?
I have accepted a position at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest in the Emergency Department starting in July! After I gain experience at the bedside, I plan to get my Master of Science in Nursing to become a family nurse practitioner. I would also be interested to get into nursing education.
