Labouré Alumni Spotlight: Sr. Gladys Segovia-Leon, ASN, BSN graduate

Sr. Gladys Segovia-Leon, a Sister of Divine Providence, is a graduate of both the ASN and BSN programs. Her family inspired her to become a nurse and Sr. Gladys chose to attend Labouré College because of it's tradition of excellence in healthcare education and its Catholic identity.

Who inspired you to become a nurse?

I was born in Peru where I had my early education. In my young adult years, I worked as a secretary. However, because of my family background, I have always had an interest in nursing. My mother is a nurse and I have a few aunts who are nurses and some uncles and cousins who are doctors. Currently, my sister is studying to be a dentist. For me to also become a nurse was the fulfillment of a dream.

What was the most important thing you learned at Labouré College?

My positive experiences of nursing were fostered by faculty members, both in classroom settings and at the clinical sites. I recall teachers instilling in us the concepts of prioritization and delegation, ideas that have grown into reality, as I am exposed now in my practice.

Prior to coming to the United States, I never had any training in nursing. Labouré helped me to learn all the nursing skills that would lead me to the professionalism that this career requires. Labouré also helped me to develop the compassionate side of nursing, which concurs with my values and beliefs as a religious Sister.

How did Labouré College’s Catholic identity and mission influence your decision to attend?

I chose Labouré, because of its Catholic identity. As a Sister of Divine Providence, it was crucial for me, not only to get the right nursing education, but an education that would resonate with my faith and Community’s mission. Labouré encompassed both of these aspects and was a perfect fit for me. Labouré’s excellent reputation, outstanding nursing program and positive reviews were also key drawing features for me to become part of their program.

Describe a typical day or shift in your current nursing job.

Right now I am working as an RN at Wingate at Silver Lake in Kingston in the Pinewood, Rehab unit.

Since I work in a rehab unit, the main goal is to help patients recover in a timely and safe manner. The patients that we treat are from a wide spectrum, such as orthopedics, medical-surgical, psychiatrics, as well as short and long-term care.

My responsibilities include administration of meds, treatments, communication within the health care system and responding appropriately to any critical change that may arise in the course of a shift. Working at this facility also allows me the opportunity to treat each patient with dignity, respect and compassion – values that were emphasized and modeled at Labouré.

Why do you love working as a nurse?

I truly like this job, because I am a part of a system that aims to provide the best care possible for each patient. It also gives me joy to work with the staff as a team member and collaboratively with the patients in their recovery. My dream job is to someday be working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.