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ABSN opens doors for alum

Watch Morgan share her story here.

Morgan Pifer didn’t always want to be a nurse––she initially had her sights set firmly on medical school. But after gaining fresh perspective working in a range of medical settings, Morgan realized that what she was most passionate about was providing holistic care directly to patients. Through Loyola’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, Morgan was able to leverage her past academic experience to kickstart her career in nursing, all on an accelerated timeline.

Finding a Path

When Morgan first completed her undergraduate degree in biology and physiology at Northern Michigan University, she wanted to gain work experience that could help strengthen her medical school applications. She briefly took a job working as a medical assistant for a team of plastic surgeons, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. “I wanted to do something more,” said Morgan.

She soon transitioned into a new role as an endoscopy technician. “I did colonoscopies, I did upper scopes. I got to do all the fun stuff that no one really thinks about, which I loved,” said Morgan.  It was during this time she realized that what she actually enjoyed most was interacting directly with patients. “When I took a step back, I realized I loved and craved that patient interaction and that closeness I felt with them,” she said. “I realized I had been a nurse this entire time, I just didn’t know it.”

Once Morgan decided to shift gears away from pursuing medical school and towards a career in nursing, it was an easy decision to enroll in Loyola’s ABSN program. “I had actually toured the Lake Shore Campus for undergrad, so I always kept Loyola close,” said Morgan. “I knew [the ABSN program] would be rigorous, but also knew I could get to my goal quickly. It checked so many boxes.”

Support at Loyola

Morgan initially braced herself for a steep learning curve, but she credits Loyola’s faculty for creating a smooth transition into the program. “Right away, they helped me get back into the groove and fill in the gaps where I wasn’t feeling as strong as a student,” she said. “They really want you to succeed. Their goal is your success.”

Morgan found a similar sense of support and camaraderie from her peers. “Loyola really stresses that nursing is a team sport. By the end, we learned and experienced so much together. It was so nice to be supported by others who were all going through the same thing.”      

These built-in support systems proved to be invaluable, especially in light of the program’s rigorous combination of coursework, simulation labs, and clinical rotations. But by the end, Morgan’s hard work had paid off. “In the last semester I hit a real turning point where I realized, whoa, I am a nurse. I can do this.”

Looking to the Future

Looking ahead, Morgan hopes to leverage her ABSN degree to pursue a PhD, a viable and exciting career option at a time when there is an increased demand for PhD-prepared nurses in health care.  Since graduating in 2023, Morgan has also been working as a project manager to support Karen Saban, Loyola’s associate dean for research and scholarly innovation, on a National Institutes of Health-funded study about stress reduction and cardiovascular disease in African American women.

Morgan has been amazed at the sheer number of opportunities that Loyola’s ABSN program has as opened for her. “For the first time, it felt like I really had control over my career path and could make decisions that best fit my personal goals.”