BGSU nursing student secures full-time job at world-renowned Cleveland Clinic a year before graduation

Gabrielle Repko was offered the position after completing a 10-week externship at the Ohio-based healthcare giant

By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

Gabrielle Repko is heading into her final year in the Bowling Green State University School of Nursing with a full-time job already lined up at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic — demonstrating the value of experiential learning and its impact on student success.

Repko was offered the position after completing a 10-week externship in the medical-surgical unit at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, east of Cleveland. After earning her degree and passing the nursing licensure exam, she will rejoin that same unit.

“I had a solid foundation of knowledge from BGSU and learned even more this summer,” Repko said, noting she was overjoyed when she was offered the full-time opportunity. “I realized this experience is about more than the technical skills I learned. It’s also about the connections I’ve made, the lives I’ve changed and how rewarding and fulfilling it is to be a nurse.”

Since enrolling its first cohort of students in 2021, the BGSU School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services has built an impressive reputation for producing highly qualified graduates prepared for the demands of today’s evolving healthcare landscape.

Nearly 100% of BGSU nursing students are employed at the time of graduation, with about three-fourths of them securing conditional job offers months before earning their degrees. Dr. Shelly Bussard, director of the School of Nursing, expects that trend to continue.

“BGSU nursing students are highly sought-after healthcare professionals, which is a testament to the caliber of our program and the University’s continued commitment to providing in-demand programs that meet workforce needs,” she said.

The BGSU nursing program, known for its knowledgeable professors and supportive environment, has grown consistently during the past three years.

Nearly 200 students across three cohorts are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program for Fall 2024, providing a consistent pipeline of nurses to fill crucial workforce needs.

Another 400 freshmen and sophomores are enrolled in the pre-nursing program, which prepares students to apply for admission into the School of Nursing during their junior year.

Repko is among many BGSU students who have completed externships at the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic from connections facilitated through the School of Nursing.

The program regularly invites healthcare representatives to campus to speak to nursing students about career opportunities as part of the University’s commitment to positioning students for professional success.  

During the externship, Repko gained valuable hands-on experience in numerous facets of nursing. Under the supervision of her nurse preceptor, she removed catheters and IVs, performed physical assessments and performed an electrocardiogram.

Repko also assisted in caring for a grieving family during palliative care, which she said provided valuable insight into another aspect of patient care.

Repko said the two-and-a-half-month experience further strengthened her passion for nursing and eagerness for the upcoming academic year.

“I’m so excited to get back into the classroom and dig into all the information we’re going to learn and use the confidence I built over the summer during clinical rotations,” she said. “I’m grateful for the supportive culture and encouragement from the BGSU nursing program in helping me get to where I am today.”