DECATUR, Ill. – As a Millikin University Nursing student, Sheila Shamloo will never forget her first blood glucose draw during her clinical experience. It was a simple prick of the finger to test their blood sugar levels, but at the time, it was a nerve-racking experience for a new healthcare worker helping their first patient. It was also an important stepping stone for Sheila.
“We'd practiced it, and I knew what I was doing, but suddenly, I felt like I had forgotten everything. My instructor told me, ‘You know what you're doing, just be confident, introduce yourself, and you will get it done,’” Sheila said. “I walked in and my hands shook while trying to get this blood sugar, but I got it done. It is so crazy to think that I was so nervous about doing something so small and then, fast forward a few years later, and now I'm practicing how to put epidurals in and how to put patients to sleep.”
Since then, Sheila has come a long way as her technical skills have improved. Graduating with a Nursing degree in the Class of 2021, she is back at Millikin as a graduate student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a specialization as a Registered Nurse Anesthetist (DNP-NAP) program.
During her undergraduate studies, Sheila also worked in the Intensive Care Unit at Decatur Memorial Hospital (DMH), where she found an interest in becoming an anesthetist.
“I started at DMH as a patient care tech, and it was wonderful making that transition from just an undergraduate student to a registered nurse. This was all happening during the height of COVID, and I got experience with very critical patients. I learned how to sedate patients, how to paralyze patients, and keep them going while their body was healing,” she said. “Being in those critical moments and having to work quickly, knowing what you're doing, and having their lives in your hands, inspired me to continue that important line of work.”
That love of helping other people was part of the reason the Mount Zion, Ill. native initially picked healthcare as a profession and Millikin for her studies.
“When choosing what I wanted to do, I was always drawn to health care and not just in the sense that I want to help people or nurse people back to health, but in the sense that there's such a gap between providers and patients. I feel like we can do so much more to educate patients, empower them, help them help themselves, and be proactive in their health,” Sheila said. “People often think that they should only be involved in health care when something is wrong, but I love educating people and telling them what they can do before there is a problem.”
The DNP-NAP program is a 36-month full-time course of study done in conjunction with Decatur Memorial. Students have access to the Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation (MCLI), a state-of-the-art Simulation Center that allows learners to develop their skills through simulation and skills training.
“I'm in my first year and learning a lot. Right now, we're learning about placing spinals and epidurals. We've learned a lot about everything that could be wrong with the patient, all their health issues, and how that impacts our anesthesia for them,” Sheila said. “As advanced practice nurses, we also have a leadership role to advocate for patients and advocate for better health for the community. I'm learning about everything that makes you a well-rounded practitioner. Millikin is giving me everything. It's not just how to do the job but how to be an impactful leader in the community. I love that Millikin has given me that experience. I didn't expect it, but I believe I'll be a better provider once I graduate because of it.”
As a Millikin graduate student, Sheila often asks her Millikin alumni colleagues when they will return to campus, reminding her that being a Millikin Nursing graduate is like being a part of a great big family.
“A fun thing about staying in the community and working at the local hospital is that I worked with many people who have gone to Millikin, and so whenever I see them, I ask, ‘When are you going to go back?’ I want to push them to go back and to do more because I know they're capable of it,” Sheila said. “I know they can perform and do well coming back. I do like to recruit because I see that potential in them, and it just feels like a community that way. Taking care of people as a thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
