From Farm to ICU: USCA Nursing Grad Starts Career with Job in Hand

Growing up on a small family farm, first in Florida and then in Barnwell, South Carolina, helped prepare one soon-to-be graduate for the rigors of a hospital’s fast-paced intensive care step-down unit, which is where she’ll work shortly after earning her nursing degree from USCA on May 6. 

Alexa Carnahan’s family had the normal menagerie of farm animals when she was growing up. Her favorite, though, was her pet mini-potbellied pig, Clementine. Until she moved into the dorm her freshman year, the down-to-earth duo spent most of their time together, as Carnahan was homeschooled through Connections Academy, an exclusively online academic program, until she went to USCA.  

Discovering her passion 

Caring for Clementine, who’s now 8, helped foster Carnahan’s commitment to compassionate care, getting to know patients and identifying their needs, even when they may not be able to articulate them.  

“When I needed an escape from college, I’d go home to take care of Clementine and the other animals,” she said. 

As the oldest of four, with her youngest sister 16 years younger than she is, Carnahan often took care of her brothers and sisters as well. 

“I grew up being a sisterly figure, and my siblings mean the world to me,” she said. 

While her nurturing relationships with her farm animals, younger siblings, and pet pig fostered her work ethic, her true passion for nursing stems from her late grandmother, who was a licensed practical nurse. When her beloved grandparents’ health was failing, she saw the impact of nurses who truly cared about both their patients and the families involved. What sealed her decision was visiting the USCA School of Nursing. 

“A lot of the people I love have been in hospitals. I’ve seen good nurses and bad ones and the true difference they can make. I saw how nurses can make patients feel better, bring them comfort, help them meet their goals, and most importantly, involve their family,” Carnahan said.  

From these experiences, she knew she, too, wanted a purposeful career, specifically providing patients with intentional, thoughtful and compassionate care, regardless of their diagnoses, prognoses or ages and stages of life. 

“I want to be the ‘good’ nurse.” 

Discovering her place 

When it came time to explore colleges that would help her meet that goal, it was more than just finding a university with rigorous academic programs that readied her for her chosen profession. The campus had to be just right. After all, when she attended college courses as a freshman, it would mark the first time she’d ever set foot in a classroom with other students. It would be the first time she’d ever had a roommate. Even with three siblings, Carnahan had her own room at home and never had to share her private space or negotiate shared expectations with a randomly chosen roommate.  

“Since first grade, I’d never been in a classroom, so that was a first,” she said. “I had to learn to live away from home and coordinate my schedule and routine on my own. It was very different from being at home with my family all the time. It required a lot of autonomy, which I feel like I had a great foundation in since I was in charge of my own classwork in Connections Academy.”  

Like most high schoolers, she explored several colleges from around the state: Carolina, Clemson, Lander and Beaufort, among others. One visit, though, and she knew USCA what the place for her.  

“I’d never set foot on the campus until I came to visit during an open house,” Carnahan said. “I fell in love with the campus. It wasn’t too far from home, and while I was moving away from home, I saw myself here.”  

Once on campus her freshman year, she vowed to make the most of her experience and got involved with a host of student organizations. She says she’s enjoyed taking advantage of the full collegiate experience offered, whether that includes academic, social or professional opportunities. One experience she’s particularly enjoyed, and which may impact others in significant ways, is her undergraduate research.  

Discovering her profession  

As part of the USCA Honors Program, which requires a capstone research project, Carnahan examined people-pleasing tendencies among nursing students across the nation.   

“We know that many students choose a career in nursing because they want to help people. We found that nursing students were more likely to be people-pleasers than those in the general population,” said Dr. Mary Gaffney, associate professor in the USCA School of Nursing who collaborated with Carnahan on the research.  

“People-pleasers tend to be more likely to place others' needs before their own or avoid speaking up to prevent conflict. Nurses may be at greater risk for burnout because in the healthcare environment, we can't always make everyone happy, whether that's patients and families or members of the healthcare team. Now that we know this about students, nursing programs may want to place more emphasis on preparing students to deal with internal struggles related to this phenomenon so that they don't experience burnout and leave the profession.”  

Carnahan has presented her findings at academic conferences, including the annual Scholar Showcase on the USCA campus and Discover USC on Columbia’s campus. She has also been selected to participate in the 37th International Nursing Research Congress for Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society this summer in Toronto. She is one of three authors, the others being Gaffney and Dr. Christian Blötner, a psychology professor at Fern University in Germany.   

“I loved the experience of conducting research and working with the unbeatable, top-notch faculty who always had time to help me,” Carnahan said. “When I was in doubt, I always had someone on the faculty to go to, who I knew would truly make a difference and know me by name. I never thought I was capable of research, but now I know I am, and I’m ready for it when I go to graduate school.”  

She will graduate with a 3.9 GPA and a host of leadership and social experiences on campus that have helped shape her into a prepared professional and engaged citizen, making a difference in her community.  

“Academically, Alexa is top notch,” said Dr. Michelle Vieyra, director of the USCA Honors Program. “Nursing is arguably one of the most challenging majors we have at USCA, and she has managed to excel from her very first semester here. But there are a lot of students with great GPAs at USCA. Where Alexa really shines is in all of the areas where she has served the campus.”  

Discovering her people 

During the spring semester of her freshman year, Carnahan joined one of the sororities on campus. She credits her Greek Life experiences with an unexpected transformation.  

"Being in Alpha Omicron Pi helped me to come out of my shell and get involved socially on campus,” Carnahan said.  

"I have met some of my best friends, have held several executive positions, and have helped plan and execute many fundraising and educational events for our international philanthropy, the Arthritis Foundation.”  

Carnahan worked in the library and the Writing Center and has held leadership roles in several student organizations. She wrote the charter to create the Honors Student Organization, expanding the Honors Program beyond just academics to include more social events and service and leadership opportunities. Carnahan served as president of the club for two years.  

“There are a lot of brilliant students at USCA who get good grades and do interesting research. There are also a lot of students who are deeply engaged in student life and contribute their time and effort to supporting the USCA community,” Vieyra said.  

“What we have in Alexa is both, and I think that is rare, particularly for a student in a major as demanding as nursing.”  

During the annual Academic Honors program the night before commencement, Carnahan will receive several awards: a Library Research Award, Honors Program Award, and the Outstanding Bachelor of Science in Nursing Award.  

Not only has she personally excelled in the School of Nursing (SoN), but she has also been committed to others’ success by taking part in a newly implemented program in the School of Nursing: PASS. Through the SoN’s Peer Ambassadors for Students’ Success program, students, like Carnahan, voluntarily tutor their peers who may find some of the core courses a bit challenging. She served as a peer ambassador for four different courses. In exchange for their time and investment in their peers’ success, Carnahan and PASS student-tutors receive scholarships to help defray costs of tuition.   

She has received several additional scholarships and research grants. Approximately 30 percent of currently enrolled undergraduate students have full tuition covered by scholarships and grants. About 40 percent of students in the last fiscal year graduating class who started at USCA as freshmen graduated with no student loans.   

Discovering her path 

Carnahan receives her nursing pin from USCA faculty members during the pinning ceremony, but during commencement, she plans to wear her grandmother’s LPN pin, a poignant reminder of who inspired her journey.  

After graduation, Carnahan will take her next big step – moving two hours from home and starting the job she already has lined up and waiting for her in the step-down intensive care unit at Bon Secours Mercy Health Center in Greenville, South Carolina. 

“I’m excited about it. I love taking care of acute patients,” Carnahan said. “I want to provide personalized, personable care and make connections with patients and their families.” 

Some new graduates venturing out like this might be a bit intimidated, worried, or anxious. Not Carnahan. She’s excited about what the future holds and feels ready for the challenges, thanks to the faculty, staff, courses, experiential learning opportunities, and friends at USCA who have prepared her for this moment. 

“I encourage others to get involved. You can learn to balance everything with time management,” she said. “Take advantage of every opportunity and keep your eye on the prize.” 

Carnahan’s accomplishments at USCA 

• South Carolina Life scholarship  

• Alexander & Alexander Attorneys at Law scholarship  

• “Broken Ink” Washington Writer’s Award  

• Mona L. Martin First-Year in Writing essay contest winner scholarship 

• Phebe Davidson Prize in Creative Writing essay contest winner scholarship 

• USCA Banksia Scholar  

• USCA Partnership scholarships 

• USCA Honors Program scholarships  

• Peer Ambassador for Student Success scholarships  

• Anne W. & Robert M. Lewis Recruiter scholarship 

• Anna M. Gascoigne Endowed Nursing scholarship 

• Hospital Auxiliary of Aiken County scholarship  

• Lexington Medical Center Foundation scholarship  

• Sigma Theta Tau - Pi Lambda research grant  

• Gregg-Graniteville Library Undergraduate Research Award  

• Outstanding Traditional BSN Student Award 

• Alpha Omicron Pi - Chi Phi chapter  

• Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society - Pi Lambda Chapter 

• USCA Honors Program  

• Honors Student Organization 

• Peer Ambassador for Student Success (PASS)  

• Neuroscience Club and Research Lab  

• Student Nurses Association   

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