Meet Kaitlin Campbell Banks
Senior Kaitlin Campbell Banks’ journey at East Tennessee State University has been
about learning how to balance all the things she loves – which include everything
from her full-time job at an assisted living facility to helping out on her family’s
cattle farm.
When she is not working or studying, Banks also enjoys horseback riding, and she serves as the assistant softball coach at Elizabethton High School.
The Elizabethton resident says she is able to juggle her priorities with the support of her faith, her husband, her family – and lots of sticky notes. She also has a healthy perspective of what it takes to succeed in her career of choice, as she had several years of professional experience as a licensed nurse practitioner (LPN) before she enrolled in ETSU’s LPN to BSN program in the College of Nursing.
Tell us about your current work as an LPN.
I currently work at an assisted living facility. On my shift, I’m the supervisor over my residents and co-workers. Between medication administrations, assessments and evaluating status changes, I spend every moment I have learning from those individuals in the facility. I have former medical professionals in my care, and I love learning from them; all I can hope for is that I am half the nurse that they are and were in their time of practice.
I have experience in the hospital setting on an oncology/med surg floor and in nursing homes. I hope to return to the hospital once I graduate in May. I love seeing different situations each day and learning the most that I can.
Why did you choose nursing? And why ETSU?
Nursing is not a career, it’s a calling – a calling that I have felt since I was a little girl. Nursing is a work of heart and it’s not meant for everyone. Nursing, to me, is life, and I hope to do it for a long time.
There are few universities/schools in this area that encourage LPNs to advance in their academic career. ETSU’s LPN to BSN program seemed right for me and allows me to continue working as an LPN while I’m going to school. I became a student at ETSU in spring of 2019, but I was part of Upward Bound at ETSU while I was in high school.
Besides school and work, what other commitments keep you busy and grounded?
I spend every moment I can with my family when I’m not at work or at school. If it wasn’t for God or my family, I wouldn’t be where I am today!
I help my dad and grandfather on the farm with their beef cattle, and I ride my horse when I can. I’m also an assistant softball coach at Elizabethton High School. Additionally, I enjoy helping younger kids with softball when I have extra time. I enjoy travelling, going to church and volunteering, too.
Time management is key, not just in nursing but also in my personal life. Sticky notes are also key; I have no idea where I would be without them – literally!
In what ways does ETSU make it possible for you to balance life, work and school?
ETSU makes it possible to balance everything by having instructors who are understanding and respectful. ETSU’s LPN to BSN Program is meant for health care professionals to continue working full time while advancing their careers. Instructors in this program are always understanding and helpful when we need it.
What I appreciate most is that the faculty members understand that we work full time and have lives and families, but are going to school to better our lives and careers. They understand that life happens, and they are flexible when life throws us a curveball.
What has your personal experience taught you about nursing?
From personal experience with different nurses, I have learned who I want to be and who I do not want to be as a nurse. I hope to give my patients my all each day. I strive to be the best person that I can be and the best nurse that I can be. I strive to use this gift that God gave me to help those around me.