VCU School of Nursing undergraduate student Aditi Bhandari is part of a generation of students defining a new nursing identity. Whether she’s speaking to incoming students and nervous parents about the demands of nursing school as a student ambassador, bonding with friends after a tough day in clinicals, or learning firsthand the impact of community engagement programs, Bhandari shows up and works hard.

From the very start, Bhandari knew that the collaborative ethos of the VCU School of Nursing was something she was looking for and the kind of community she wanted to learn and grow in. “I only applied to VCU’s nursing school,” she said, “I didn’t want to go anywhere else.” She was attracted to nursing school as a path to a meaningful career with ample employment options and future educational opportunities. “Something that excites me about entering the profession is how broad the nursing field is. You don’t have to be a bedside nurse if you don’t want to–you could work in a doctor’s office, a clinic of some sort, or out in the community. There are so many places that need a nurse,” she said.

I am willing to join the fight and make whatever degree of difference I can in the future alongside other nurses.

Aditi Bhandari
Class of 2024

Bhandari’s cohort is a close knit community of fewer than one hundred students who complete their courses and clinical hours with many of the same professors. She’s enjoyed the camaraderie and lessons learned with and from her classmates. “I have been surprised by how teamwork-oriented nursing or even just nursing school is.” Bhandari, like many in her cohort, gains valuable nursing skills and experience outside of the walls of the classroom as well. As a research assistant for the Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP), she supports a larger effort to deliver health promotion and prevention programs for vulnerable older adults and disabled adults residing in low-income housing settings in Richmond. Through her work with RHWP, she has had a chance to participate in community engaged research and strengthen her collaboration skills. Bhandari has found the experience to be especially rewarding. “Seeing residents that are trying their best to keep their health optimal despite their health conditions and getting to hear from multiple personal care assistants about their wisdom in the healthcare field has been insightful,” she said.

Following graduation, Bhandari plans to get her start as a bedside nurse, and given some of the recent challenges faced by healthcare providers, is steeling herself with an extra dose of determination to make a difference.