
Whitney Heminger
Whitney Heminger is one class away from receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in English. She admits if someone had told her 10 years ago that she’d instead be graduating as a registered nurse, she would have never believed them.
Already an Owens Community College graduate as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Heminger is graduating in the Fall 2024 commencement with an Associate Degree in Registered Nursing.
She has no idea how she ended up in healthcare, but she’s glad that she did.
“It’s just really cool how I’m here now,” Heminger said. “I decided to go into healthcare. I started in radiology, and I wanted to be more involved with my patients. I love being with my patients, I love advocating for them.
“I don’t know how I ended up here, but now that I’m here, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Heminger is a recipient of the Barbara Rood Student Choice Nursing Award.
She’s already spent two years as an LPN on the oncology floor at ProMedica Flower Hospital. She tried to pass on her experience and knowledge to her fellow students in the RN program.
“It makes me a little emotional thinking about it,” Heminger said. “I just like helping people learn. It’s cool they thought enough about me to vote for this award for me. … I just wanted everyone to succeed. I gave all the knowledge that I had, because I have a lot more experience than some of the other people in my class. I like to share it all with them.”
A self-described “farm kid” from Sandusky County, Heminger insists there was no big a-ha moment where she chose a life in the healthcare field.
So, what does she love about being a nurse? The relationships with her patients and her ability to give them some power over their choices.
“I love making sure they are in charge of their decisions, because at the end of the day, it’s their life,” Heminger said. “I deal with a lot of death, working on a cancer floor, and I like being able to provide that dignity for my patients.”
When she was ready to return to school for her RN, Heminger said there was no question she’d return to Owens. The school “made it easier for me … to better my life.”
She came back to give herself more options. Considering her next moves, Heminger mentioned staying on the oncology floor or moving to the emergency room, a cardiac ICU or eventually becoming a flight nurse.
In true never say never fashion, Heminger also found a joy in and passion for teaching. So, who knows, maybe the next time Heminger returns to Owens, it’ll be as a faculty member.
This time, though, she’ll know exactly when that path in her life started.
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Published December 2024