Registered Nurse to Graduate from Innovative
C.W. Post/North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System Partnership

After years of serving others, Elizabeth Romano finally did something for herself.

A registered nurse in the neonatal ICU at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset, Romano had an associate’s degree and had taken some classes toward a bachelor’s degree, but had never complete her studies. Her family, her job and her professional commitments always took precedence.

Then in 2003, an innovative partnership was formed between the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System. Through the program, registered nurses at North Shore-LIJ earn their B.S. or M.S. degree in Nursing on a part-time basis at the hospital through C.W. Post, and have their tuition paid for by their employer.

The Farmingdale resident said this was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. She was looking for a managerial position within the hospital, but doing so required an advanced degree. So despite having not been in school for 12 years and having fears and anxiety about taking tests and going to class, Romano signed up with the support and encouragement of her peers, supervisors and most importantly, her family.

Now, on Sunday, May 13, four years later, Romano will graduate from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

“The nursing program has had such a huge positive impact on my life,” she says, noting that she will begin studying for her master’s degree in the same program in the fall.

Romano, who had two children in college and another in high school at the time she studied for her degree, said it wasn’t always easy but knowing that she had the support of everyone around her helped tremendously. “Whether I was attending classes on campus or at the hospital, it was a positive experience,” she says. “The professors were so good at helping us cope with any anxiety we might have. They would tell us, ‘You can do this. You are smart.’ It’s a process for adult learners but it all worked out very well.”

Posted: March 29, 2007