EKU Nursing Students Inspired by Care, Driven to Serve

For many EKU Colonels, the desire to serve others through their careers comes from personal experience. That was the case for Christa Carlin, whose calling to nursing began with the care and compassion of a nurse who made a lasting impact on her life.

“I had my first baby at the local hospital, and the care that I received from my nurse was just phenomenal,” Carlin said. “She made it fun, and she even came back to see me the next day and check on me. She really made me feel special, and that’s what made me enroll in the nursing program here at EKU to begin with.”

Now as a labor and delivery nurse, Carlin delivers the same care and compassion shown to her, while also pursuing a master’s at EKU in the Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner program.

Nurses, such as Carlin, make a profound difference amidst a widespread nursing shortage. The Kentucky Hospital Association’s 2024 Workforce Survey Report noted high vacancy rates for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants, with 5,417 reported open positions among the professions.

“Students not only complete their degrees but also launch their careers and make a meaningful impact by serving in high-need, underserved areas—this is truly transformative for our region,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see our students and graduates out in the field, pursuing their passions while making a difference in people’s lives, impacting our communities and stepping up to fill our state’s workforce needs.”

Though Carlin sees the effects of the healthcare shortage, she said, “Our passion keeps us going.” She continued, “We often see a lot of women who come in with very limited prenatal care and sometimes no prenatal care. I’ve had a person drive two hours just to come to see us in labor and delivery.”

Although the work can be demanding, Carlin felt ready to enter the field because of her studies at EKU.

“I did my undergraduate with EKU, and it was a very hard and challenging program,” Carlin said. “But we had a 100% pass rate on our board exams, and I knew that I would be well prepared.”

Fellow nurse and classmate in the Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner program, Morgan Hamilton, was also inspired to join the profession from personal experience.

“As a child, my family would have to go and travel for healthcare,” Hamilton said. “Serving in a rural area is important to me. You definitely see people who haven’t been able to reach healthcare access and just how much they need us to be in those communities.”

EKU offers nursing degrees from associate to doctoral, for all stages of a nursing career. EKU Nursing is ranked by The Princeton Review among the Best Online Nursing School Master’s Programs, and No. 37 by U.S. News & World Report for Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs. EKU’s Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs boast a 100% job placement rate at the time of graduation among students seeking employment prior to graduation.

In addition to EKU’s highly successful nursing and healthcare programs, EKU aims to further address the state’s healthcare shortage with a proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine. In collaboration with existing academic programs, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at EKU would focus on recruiting, training and retaining physicians in rural Kentucky. The university is currently seeking approval from the Kentucky General Assembly to offer this type of degree program.