A Methodist College clinical instructor and former Carle Health Nurse Manager celebrates an incredible 50 years of service to the organization this month.
Carle Health Greater Peoria is proud to honor Jan Carroll, who started as a student nurse at Methodist College, worked in behavioral health for more than 40 years and now devotes her time to giving aspiring caregivers the tools needed to succeed.
Putting others first
From a young age, Carroll always cared about the underserved and often spent her time helping and looking out for others.
Carroll’s family recognized her passion and, after she graduated high school in 1972, her father urged her to pursue a nursing education.
“I picked Methodist College – then known as the Methodist School of Nursing – and I’m proud to have been there ever since,” Carroll said. “It was like home to me and as a student nurse, I fell deeper in love with helping people.”
Carroll remembers her education at Methodist College focused strongly on hands-on, clinical experience and adherence to best practices.
She says her instructors inspired her and were always willing to help.
“We learned not only the science behind nursing, but the art behind it as well,” Carroll said. “My instructors really were incredible. They helped students to be as successful as possible, and that’s what I try to be now with my students.”
Carroll graduated with a nursing diploma in 1975 and, following her state boards, immediately chose to start working at what is now Carle Health Methodist Hospital.
Exceptional leadership
Carroll worked in several positions throughout her time at Methodist Hospital, starting as a staff nurse and then becoming a charge nurse. It was during this time that she also met her husband, Paul, who worked in security.
Carroll eventually became an assistant clinical coordinator, and then a Nurse Manager, during which she remained devoted to inpatient behavioral health and credits the hospital’s devotion to the region.
“I always had a passion for helping those with mental health struggles. It totally touches every facet of a person’s life, and I saw that every day,” Carroll said. “I am so proud of how our organization stepped up to provide these services. We insisted on providing the best resources for the community.”
Throughout her time working at Methodist Hospital, Carroll’s friends, colleagues and family encouraged her to get into education and instill her passion in others.
She eventually earned her master’s degree, spent a couple semesters teaching at Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois Central College, and later accepted a position as clinical instructor at Methodist College.
“My passion was always with the patient, and not so much in a classroom,” Carroll said. “But I remembered how important my clinical experience was to me as a student. When students find out what it is the patient really needs, it improves the experience for everyone.”
Inspiring the next generation
Carroll believes no matter what type of nursing her students may choose to pursue upon graduation, mental health will always play a crucial role in care delivery.
“You have to pay attention to the whole body – mental health can really dictate how we heal and what our outlook is,” Carroll said. “Patients can often come in scared or confused. A lot of what you’re doing as a nurse is looking at those energy levels and what’s going on inside.”
She adds that nothing means more to her than seeing her students succeed and passing what they have learned onto others.
“Students come back to me and tell me about the jobs they got, and it makes me thrilled. That’s what I want to do – get them into mental health and see their excitement,” Carroll said.
“Jan is so passionate about working with students and helping them understand mental healthcare. Through her simulations and storytelling, students always say she makes it feel so real and truly helps ready them to take care of this population of patients. She is such a strong asset to Methodist College and the organization,” Shelley Riney, former Methodist College Chair of Nursing, said.
Carroll says she looks forward to continuing to encourage and inspire younger generations.
“Nursing and nursing education has come such a long way – it has evolved so much for the better and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Carroll said.