“If anyone heard what we talk about over Thanksgiving dinner, they’d probably be grossed out,” said Suzan Shane, RN, MS, EdD (c).

Medical discussions are the norm when there’s one nurse at the table. But in Shane’s family, there are eight of them passing the cranberries—and the advice. Two aunts are nurses. And two sisters. And two of her four daughters. And a niece.

Why so many all in the same family? “When you grow up hearing the stories, listening to prayers for patients, you just want to be part of it,” said Shane, who teaches at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. “My mother was definitely the single biggest influence, though. She just wanted everybody to become a nurse. When she passed away, we awarded her an honorary degree. After all, she raised a family of 13 kids on a big farm in Wyoming, Ill., and that requires plenty of nursing.”

A Metamora resident, Shane raised five children while working full time at OSF. “Nursing is a great career for working moms and dads,” she said. “No matter where you go you can find work, pick up an extra shift, and earn extra money. “There are just so many opportunities, it’s unbelievable. Before I started teaching, I took care of preemies, post-partum moms, kids in the ICU—I even did research and home health. In nursing, there’s no reason to get bored. If you do, chances are other people are bored with you, too.”

Education also was a top priority, and Shane expects to receive her doctorate in education from Illinois State University later this year. Since she became an RN back when the school offered only a three-year diploma program, she returned to receive her Bachelors degree in l992. Then came a Masters degree from Northern Illinois University, which required a 200-mile round trip at least once a week.

Shane spent much of one summer studying nursing education in Great Britain. “I was in a 400-year-old hospital, with nine little old ladies lined up on each side of the ward. Then it struck me—no walls. It makes it easier for the nurse to see and hear everyone, but there’s absolutely no privacy.”

She also has taught American nursing skills in Brazil. “Their equipment may be different, but the body is the same, no matter where you’re born,” she said.

After “living and breathing nursing” for such a long time, Shane said she finds it very motivating to work with students, to help them learn, and to see that light go on.

“I want them to know that it’s a privilege to be a nurse. You become an intimate part of people’s lives, even if briefly. From birth to death, you get to be part of it.”

Chances are good your life has been touched by one of the eight dedicated RNs in Shane’s family.

• Beverly Sears Lescher has worked at OSF Saint Francis and spent most of her career in obstetrics. She’s worked at an Air Force Base in Alaska and as a school nurse in Miami.

• Nancy Sears Brunno worked in pediatrics at OSF Saint Francis, then spent nearly four decades at St. Margaret’s in Spring Valley.

• Margaret Shane Gibbs was a member of the surgery team at OSF Saint Francis and has worked at the Princeville Medical Center.

• Mary Jane Cox-Shane served in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at OSF and now is a nurse practitioner in Interventional Radiology.

• Kristin Knoblauch Kong was a member of the Peds ICU team at OSF Saint Francis; currently, she’s studying at the University of Florida to become a nurse practitioner.

• Courtney Knoblauch serves as a junior lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. She returned from Kuwait in February and is now stationed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital ICU.

• Sarah Gramlich Milke has worked at Methodist Medical Center and is now in the Emergency Department at OSF Saint Francis.

While Shane’s family might be a unique example, during its 100-year history, the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing has been a family affair for many people. The college is celebrating its centennial with events throughout the year; recently, more than 600 students, teachers, and alumni recently gathered for a September homecoming.

The college’s history by the numbers:

• 1905—the year the School of Nursing organized, for Sisters only.
• 1918—the year lay students were admitted.
• 3,400—the number of students graduated from the diploma program.
• 1985—the year the College of Nursing was established to award bachelor of nursing degrees.
• 1,048—the number of students who’ve earned BSN degrees.
• 2001—the year the college was approved to offer a master of science in nursing (MSN).
• 2004—the year the first MSN students graduated.
• 8—the number of students graduated with MSN degrees. TPW