Dana Rose, RN, BSN

Current Position: ICU RN at Main Line Health

Story Last Updated: Summer 2024

My favorite part about GMercyU was being a part of a compassionate community backed by people who wanted to see you succeed. I loved that GMercyU gave me the opportunity to be involved in various endeavors that ultimately helped shape the person I am today.

Journey to GMercyU

In 2016, Dana Rose graduated from Ridley High School in Delaware County, Pa. She heard about GMercyU from a family friend who had a close friend attending the University.

“The raving reviews about GMercyU’s nursing program solidified my decision in pursuing my undergrad degree there as well as the fact that they were a Division III University. I knew that nursing classes would be a lot of work, so playing DIII sports allowed me to prioritize my academics and still have a manageable and balanced workload despite being an athlete,” Dana said.

On campus, Dana was involved with Campus Ministry and participated in the Griffin Student Leadership Institute of Exceptional Leaders program. She was also a member of the Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country teams and served as a Resident Assistant within Residence Life.

Experience in the Nursing Program

“I loved that the nursing program had smaller class sizes, making it easier to build relationships and establish rapport with professors. I believe a lot of the nursing professors really went out of their way to help us excel in the program and understand tough topics and concepts,” Dana said.

One of her favorite classes was Fundamentals of Nursing. Students worked in the SIM lab and learned most of the skills necessary to nurses on a daily basis.

“I would recommend GMercyU to a prospective student for many reasons, but mainly because of the smaller class sizes and a close community where you know everyone and can each out to them if you need help,” Dana said.

Why Nursing?

I chose to go into nursing because I’ve always had innate passion to help and care for others.

Dana started her career as a nurse in the middle of the pandemic, and was immediately assigned to a designated COVID-19 unit.

“I think my experiences have helped shape the nurse I am today. Seeing the way staff came together during those times and the resilience and strength we all had definitely rekindled the spark I had to pursue nursing,” Dana said.

She continues her career as a nurse because she loves watching her patients defeat COVID and other illnesses firsthand.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing patients get better and walk out of the hospital and knowing I played a part in that,” Dana said.

Clinical Experience

Dana completed clinical rotations at Chestnut Hill Hospital, Grandview Hospital, St. Christopher’s Hospital, and Einstein Montgomery Medical Center while at GMercyU. She gained much hands-on experience and a good understanding of patients’ illnesses and outlined a care plan for them.

My biggest takeaway from my clinical experience was the importance of working as an interdisciplinary team and mapping out the best individualize action plan for each patient.

Post-Graduation

Since graduating from GMercyU, Dana has been working as a Registered Nurse at Main Line Health for almost two years. She recently made the transition from working as a telemetry nurse to working as an ICU nurse.

Her goal is to return to school in a couple of years to pursue her Doctoral Degree in Nurse Anesthesia.