Beyond the Bedside: A Look at Spartans in Nursing | Page 27

A Family Whose

BLOOD RUNS “GREEN”

Inspired to Nursing by
Family and Experience
In 2012, Allison Callison was working as an
ER nurse; her sister Mariah Wielgos was
pursuing her BSN; and her youngest sister
Elizabeth Wielgos was a freshman at MSU. That
summer, their mother suffered a subarachnoid
hemorrhage with poor prognosis. During her
month-long hospital stay, they never left her
side. As a family of nurses, they used their
knowledge to work with the healthcare team,
to make decisions, and to advocate for their
mother. Helping their mom to the best possible
outcome shaped the compassionate care they
deliver to patients and their families.

Three Different Paths
Allison Callison
Allison enjoys the unpredictability of level one
trauma work. Knowing her patients and building

strong relationships with both physicians and
staff translate into good teamwork in high stress
situations. She is prepared for whatever comes
in the door.
Caring for her mother made her a better patient
advocate and underscored the importance
of compassion for everyone. “A 30-year old
woman came into the ER with a heart attack,”
Allison relates. “After getting her to the cath lab,
I took time to talk with her husband and hold
his hand until his family could get there. It’s not
just the patient we care for; it’s the whole family,
too.” As co-chair of her Unit Based Council, she
also works to provide her fellow nurses with the
resources and support they need.
Allison also teaches Lansing Community College
nursing students in clinicals. She is quick to
remind her youngest sister that “you are never
alone as a nurse. Keep your network of mentors
and develop professional relationships.”

A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE
It’s in their blood. Their grandmother dreamed of being a nurse.
Their mother and two aunts became nurses.
Three sisters: one in the MSN program, one in the BSN program,
two in practice, three different goals, and soon, four Spartan
Nursing degrees among them. A family of nurses dedicated to
compassionate care for others.

Mariah Wielgos
After spending weeks in the
neuro ICU with her mother, Mariah
decided to become a CNS. The
family had to make quick and
difficult decisions among the
many different treatments and
care plans put forward. The family
didn’t have one primary resource
to help them navigate through the
healthcare system. Mariah decided
she wanted to become that person
for others.

While pursuing her graduate degree, she
works in an observation unit with acute cardiac
and stroke patients, doing assessments and
preparing patients for the cath lab, transition to
stepdown, or discharge. As charge nurse, she
works closely with the emergency department
and addresses nurse, patient, and family
questions on top of her own patient load.
Mariah advises nursing students that, “Nursing
is a lifelong learning process. No one has all the
answers; no one expects you to.” As a graduate
assistant in the College’s ACCESS Program, she
mentors students to help them succeed through
the challenges and academic rigor of becoming
a Spartan Nurse. Her goal is to work as a CNS in
a level one trauma unit and wants to serve in a
faculty role to educate future nurses.
Elizabeth Wielgos
Caring for her mother affirmed Elizabeth’s
choice to pursue a career in nursing. This
personal experience opened her eyes to the
family side of patient/caregiver interactions.
Now in her last year of nursing school, she
unexpectedly fell in love with pediatric nursing.
Delivering care to children, she is mindful of how
she interacts with her patients and their parents.
As Elizabeth prepares to launch her career,
she plans to work in acute pediatric care and
eventu [H