Jessica Brink, RN from Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Richard Hulse and Jessica Brink

In the summer of 2005, Jessica Brink was working as a per diem PCA on Mehandru 6 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. She was on her summer break as a full-time nursing student at Southeast University of Louisiana near New Orleans, confident in her decision to become a nurse and enjoying a new found friendship with Richard Hulse, a PA (physician’s assistant) for Cardiac Surgery at Jersey Shore.

Jessica returned to Louisiana in time to grapple with one of the most devastating catastrophes to hit the United States: Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, she was able to stay in Baton Rouge with friends until she could fly home to her family in Port Monmouth.

“It was like a war zone,” Jessica recalls. “I had to leave everything behind – my friends, school, all of my belongings. It was a very scary time.”

Once home, Jessica decided that she didn’t want to return to school in Louisiana but did want to continue her nursing education. Within a few days of contacting them, the nursing program at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft accepted Jessica and many of her credits from Southeast University.

She also wanted to return to work. Kathy Armstrong, RN, Nurse Manager of Mehandru 6, welcomed Jessica back as a PCA with open arms. Kathy also put Jessica in touch with Teri Wurmser, Ph.D., Director, Ann May Center for Nursing, for tuition and scholarship assistance.

Jessica was accepted into Meridian’s OFFER program which is designed to assist team members who want to pursue a nursing degree. Team members in the OFFER program work two, 12-hour shifts on the weekends and are paid for 36 hours. They receive fulltime benefits including tuition reimbursement and scholarships. In exchange for their benefits and fulltime status, the participants must guarantee two years of employment with Meridian upon completion of their nursing degrees.

“The transition to attending classes at Brookdale and working back at Jersey Shore was really seamless,” says Jessica. “Meridian had the answers I needed to get my life back on track.”

She graduated from Brookdale with her associate’s degree in nursing in December 2006. Jessica works fulltime as an RN on Mehandru 6 and is thinking of going back to school for a bachelor’s degree.

And, she’s very busy planning her ‘backyard’ wedding to Richard in the fall. Despite the upheaval in her life from Hurricane Katrina, Jessica found her life partner and achieved her dream of becoming a nurse – all with a little help from Meridian!