For students pursuing a career in nursing, the path is about more than learning clinical skills. It is about discovering purpose, building confidence, and preparing to make a difference in the lives of others. At Youngstown State University (YSU), the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program is helping students do exactly that.
Through rigorous coursework, hands-on clinical experiences, and strong faculty support, YSU’s ADN program prepares students to enter the workforce ready to provide compassionate, high-quality patient care. For students like Robin Bidinotto and Gage Newsom, the program has also become a transformative personal journey.
For Robin Bidinotto, nursing was a natural next step after more than 20 years working as a paramedic. Although healthcare had always been central to her career, she wanted to expand her knowledge and scope of practice while finding a program that fit her life as an adult learner.
“The ADN program worked out better for me because I could complete the associate degree first and then continue into a bridge program for my bachelor’s degree,” Bidinotto said. “There was flexibility there, and I could start working and earning sooner.”
Newsom found a similar advantage in the ADN pathway. After beginning another major, he realized nursing was where he wanted to be but did not want to restart his college journey from the beginning.
“The two-year ADN program really fit with my schedule and how I wanted to finish,” he said.
Both students said YSU stood out because of its strong reputation, accessibility, and supportive learning environment.
Clinical experiences are a cornerstone of the YSU ADN program, giving students opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in real-world healthcare settings across the region.
Bidinotto credits one of her first-semester instructors with helping spark her passion for critical care nursing.
“She was very good at breaking everything down and teaching me how to look at lab work, test results, and patient data to understand what was going on,” Bidinotto said. “That really lit a fire in me to get better at critical care.”
Newsom also found clarity about his future career goals through clinical rotations. Originally interested in travel nursing, he now sees intensive care nursing as a strong foundation for long-term growth.
“I really think ICU is where I want to go because you can build on that further,” he said.
Both students emphasized how impactful patient interactions have been throughout the program. Newsom recalled a clinical experience working with children where simply listening made a lasting impression.
“He was just telling me his entire life story,” Newsom said. “Even as an eight-year-old, he was so grateful that somebody listened to him. It reminded me how much of a difference that can make.”
In addition to hospital and healthcare rotations, YSU nursing students engage directly with community organizations and underserved populations throughout the Mahoning Valley.
During mental health and community health rotations, students visit homeless shelters, recovery facilities, food programs, and mental health organizations to better understand the resources available to patients outside traditional healthcare settings.
For Bidinotto, those experiences broadened her understanding of community care and inspired her to continue volunteering beyond her required clinical hours.
“It really put me in touch with the community and helped me understand what resources are available for patients,” she said.
Newsom said those experiences helped shift his perspective about vulnerable populations and reinforced the importance of empathy in healthcare.
“It opens your perspective because these are people around you,” he said. “Just because somebody is in a difficult position does not make them any different than you.”
Both students acknowledged that nursing school comes with high expectations and significant challenges. However, they also emphasized that YSU ADN faculty members create an environment where students feel supported throughout the process.
“One of the biggest impacts for me has been understanding that the staff has been on my side,” Bidinotto said. “They really want us to succeed.”
Faculty mentorship also helped Bidinotto secure a position as a student nurse extern, providing additional hands-on experience while still completing the program.
For Newsom, the experience reinforced the importance of discipline and consistency.
“The hardest part is showing up and getting yourself to do the work,” he said. “If you truly want to do it, you’ll be capable of doing it.”
As healthcare systems continue to face growing workforce demands, programs like YSU’s ADN pathway are helping prepare skilled, compassionate nurses ready to serve their communities.
Whether entering nursing after decades in healthcare or discovering the profession for the first time, students in the ADN program are gaining the knowledge, confidence, and experience needed to succeed.
For both Bidinotto and Newsom, the decision to pursue nursing at YSU has become more than a career move. It has become a chance to grow personally, serve others, and make a lasting impact.
Learn more about the ADN program at YSU‘s Centofanti School of Nursing, offered in Youngstown and Steubenville.
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