Many patients Swedberg sees have undergone hysterectomies or other gynecological surgeries. Others have experienced miscarriages, medically terminated pregnanciesor stillbirths.

“As nurses, we must look at our patients’ mental, emotional and spiritual well-being,” she said. “We also become their link and advocate for further care from other disciplines.”

A graduate of Quinnipiac’s accelerated BSN program, Swedberg is no stranger to the holistic and interdisciplinary models of patient care. These models are a big reasonwhy she chose Quinnipiac’s 12-month program, which is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline.

Swedberg also credits the accelerated BSN program with helping her pass the NCLEX-RN licensing examquickly, so she couldget her first job as a labor and delivery nurse at a New Hampshire hospitala month before graduating.

“My then-employer was impressed with my clinical and capstone experiences,” Swedberg said. “The program as a whole definitely made my career transition easier.”

Swedberg’s nursing education also helped her transition to a new health care systemwhen she and her husband relocated to the United Kingdom. She said the simulation practice she went through during her last two semestersat Quinnipiachelped her pass the Objective Structured Clinical Exam, one of the tests the U.K.requires of incoming international nurses.

In the U.S., U.K., or wherever her nursing career takes her next, Swedberg’s commitment to delivering holistic, patient-centered care remains the same.

“When I see a patient, I think about the care I’d want provided for my family or friends,” she said, “and I strive to provide that level of care.”