Nursing major Shekinah McLaughlin graduated from Belmont on Saturday just days after saving a local woman’s life. While at a hair appointment last Wednesday, McLaughlin noticed another client becoming weak and short of breath. After being asked by her stylist if she could help, McLaughlin stepped in to assess the woman as her condition worsened. While others in the building called 911, McLaughlin initiated and continued CPR until emergency responders arrived to transport the woman to a local hospital.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Shekinah,” said professor and dean of nursing, Cathy Taylor. “By all reports, she did everything right, and it was a powerful message for our graduates at the nursing pinning ceremony this afternoon. We tell them they are prepared, but hearing it from her was remarkably moving. I am equally proud of Shekinah and our nursing team for guiding and mentoring her (and hundreds of other students) to this exceptional level of performance and service.”
During National Nurses Week and specifically on National Student Nurse Day, Belmont honors McLaughlin for her incredible act of service in the community as she prepares to enter the nursing field.