Several nursing students take classes at the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Nutley, N.J., and they shared mixed reviews about how they feel being separated from the rest of the SHU community in South Orange.
Esther Shinne, a junior nursing major, said she feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of the main campus.
“You don’t get to talk to your old friends from freshman year and trying to talk to them is really hard because we’re so busy here,” she said.
Kynzie Campbell, a junior nursing major, added, “I only see nursing friends or medical friends. I don’t see any of my other friends anymore. I do have my friends here, so it’s maybe not so lonely, it’s just like a different environment.”
Anizia Mabanta, a junior nursing major, sees the switch in a positive light.
“I feel like I’m attending a separate school than those at South Orange,” Mabanta said. “I don’t really mind it though because I kind of enjoy the environment at the IHS campus, and I wasn’t really involved in anything on the South Orange campus anyways.”
Mabanta noted that she wanted to get to know other nursing majors more, saying that being with them helps her stay focused and allows her to make deeper connections since they are all in the same major. She also said that it makes it easier to find study groups and ask around for help with assignments and exams.
The students also discussed how being at IHS draws them apart from events on South Orange and how it conflicts with the responsibilities of their extracurricular activities.
Shinne said that she can never go to the events she used to go to all the time.
“I have an apartment with other people who go to the other campus, so they always talk about what happens there, and I have no idea what just happened over there,” Shinne said. “I also teach in a club, so it’s kind of hard to coordinate with the other e-board [members] to do meetings or to do teaching lessons because I’m over here and everyone else is over there.”
Campbell mentioned Health Services’ upcoming flu shot clinic held in South Orange. Since she is in Nutley all day on Tuesday, she cannot attend the clinic on that given day. She noted that she can go to another day it is offered, but it isn’t convenient because of its proximity to her clinical requirement deadline.
Campbell also noted the lack of extracurriculars or other activities one would see on the green of the other campus.
Though moving to the other campus holds many disadvantages, the students shared positives as well.
“We have pretty much new facilities and equipment,” Campbell said. “And it’s kind of nice being here in a more clinical environment. But disadvantages like transportation and being so far away are definitely major drawbacks.”
Mabanta said, “I think it was both a disadvantage and an advantage because it’s far and hard to get there for out-of-state students who don’t have cars, but the facility is nicer and in a safer area.”
Kristel Domingo can be reached at kristel.domingo@student.shu.edu.
