In the intermediate care unit at Roper St. Francis Hospital, Cadet Audrey Boston, ’27, performed an assessment of her patient, listening to her heartbeat, checking her pupils and pulse, and asking questions that test cognitive function. The process required attention to detail, critical thinking and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
“I love structure,” Boston said. “I love being held to a standard.”
Boston first learned about The Citadel from her grandfather, Mike Swain, ’73. By high school, she knew she wanted to follow in his footsteps and serve in the military. She earned a four-year Army ROTC scholarship and found that the regimented environment of The Citadel suited her well.
Boston arrived at college planning to study biology, not nursing. But during her freshman year, a family medical emergency changed her perspective. As she spent more time in a hospital setting, she noticed that while physicians often moved from patient to patient, nurses remained at the bedside, answering questions, educating families and providing day-to-day care.
She realized she wanted a career that combined analytical thinking with direct patient interaction.
Now a nursing major, Boston is gaining hands-on experience through clinical rotations, a hallmark of The Citadel’s nursing program. Beginning junior year, nursing students spend one day each week in local hospitals, working alongside practicing nurses and applying what they learn in the classroom.
This spring semester, Boston was assigned to the intermediate care unit at Roper St. Francis Hospital, where she assisted with bedside reports, patient assessments, vital signs and medication checks. She helped monitor patients for changes in condition and learned how nurses respond when those changes require intervention or escalation.
Back on campus, simulation lab training prepares students for situations they may encounter during clinical rotations. Boston has worked through scenarios that include diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes that can require insulin drips and frequent blood glucose monitoring.
In both the simulation lab and the hospital, she has learned that small changes can quickly become significant.