SXU Faculty Member Awarded Nurse Educator Fellowship
Saint Xavier University (SXU) alumna and nursing professor Courtenay Vihtelic '01 has been awarded a nurse educator fellowship from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). The fellowships help to retain well-qualified nursing faculty at higher education institutions to ensure nursing students are prepared to enter and fill a shortage in the health care workforce.
For Vihtelic, the fellowship provided an opportunity to become a better educator. She was able to take an online course for new educators and attended four conferences to expand her skills in nursing education.
"I was so grateful for this opportunity to be able to expand my knowledge. I want to make my classroom more inviting for everyone so that my students feel welcome and safe, and I want it to be more of an active classroom with regular feedback on formative assessments so students are better prepared. It's another goal of mine to scaffold the class so students can build on their knowledge and are well-prepared to pass the NCLEX," said Vihtelic.
Vihtelic was drawn to nursing at a young age because it was a family tradition – her mother, aunt, and grandmother were also nurses. When she began her undergraduate career, she majored in early childhood education, but after teaching for a few years, she knew she still wanted to pursue a career in nursing, so she earned a second bachelor's degree in nursing from UIC and then earned a master's degree in nursing (family nurse practitioner) from Lewis University.
Before coming to Saint Xavier in 2022, Vihtelic began her career as a critical care registered nurse focusing her work on post-surgical heart patients. She's also served as a travel nurse for various intensive care units and worked in primary care for five years after graduating as a family nurse practitioner. Vihtelic's background in education helps in her ability to effectively teach nursing concepts.
Primarily teaching pharmacology courses, Vihtelic knows the importance of being knowledgeable and skilled in pharmacology, as it comprises about 16% of the NCLEX, and her goal is to ensure students have a strong understanding of the medications they will be administering. She also teaches a clinical course and the health assessment course for SXU's Family Nurse Practitioner program.
"As an educator, I want to make a difference in the nurses graduating. Technology continues to advance and diseases continue to become more complex, and the health care field needs students with a good, firm foundation when they come out of nursing school. Students need strong clinicians teaching them who encourage lifelong learning. I want my students to always continue to grow and learn," said Vihtelic.
Vihtelic especially enjoys being able to work with students in smaller group settings where she can share real-life experiences.
"I have a strong background in nursing clinically and enjoy sharing that with the students. I encourage them to always keep the patient in mind. Sometimes, nurses get so wrapped up in checking boxes for their shifts that they forget their patients are real people with real stories. They can be vulnerable, and a nurse has the ability to dramatically improve the patient for the time they are there that day," said Vihtelic.
Along with her full-time faculty role, Vihtelic works as a nurse practitioner in an outpatient cardiology clinic. Within her role, Vihtelic helped to develop a cardiology fast-track clinic for low-risk cardiac patients. In the clinic, Vihtelic and her colleagues conduct same-day testing to rule out cardiac abnormalities or move to additional testing if needed.
"I love it. I truly enjoy just being able to talk with the patients, figure out what's going on with them, and being able to help them. I've formed some strong relationships with my patients," said Vihtelic.
In the future, Vihtelic plans to continue attending conferences to network and further her knowledge. She also plans to become a certified nurse educator.