January 29, 2025 | Grace Fontanarosa

A Heartbeat of Tradition: UConn Nursing Provides Stethoscopes to Sophomore Students

Ahead of their clinicals, second-year students receive their first stethoscope donated by former alumna

Second year students receiving their first stethoscopes at annual ceremony

Second year students receiving their first stethoscopes at annual ceremony

On the first day of each spring semester, sophomores like first-generation student Flormarie Lopez ’27 (NUR), are gifted a stethoscope before entering their junior year when clinical rotations begin.  

Students lining up to receive stethoscopes

NURS 3120 Health Assessment taught by Michele Cole, DNP, MSN, RN, CPN, and Yashika Sharma, Ph.D., RN, teaches students how to take and interpret vital signs, exercise sound clinical judgment, and how to approach patients – skills that they will use every day as a practicing nurse.   

Through an endowed scholarship by UConn Nursing alum Margaret E. “Peggy” Sczesny ’69 (NUR), ’79 MS, these gifted stethoscopes are a fundamental tool that enhances confidence and symbolizes professionalism. It can help aid in diagnosis and assessment and serves as a constant companion.  

Four nursing sophomores at annual stethoscope event

I cherish this gift as a UConn student nurse – David Gorski ’26 (NUR)

“I cherish this gift as a UConn student nurse,” says David Gorski ’26 (NUR). “I use my stethoscope every day in clinical. It’s very important to me to know how to use it and what to look for as we transition from students to health care practitioners.”  

Sophomore receives her first stethoscope

In addition to providing stethoscopes for sophomores, the Traditions Fund (as part of this scholarship) also finances nursing pins for all undergraduate and accelerated Certificate of Entry into Nursing (CEIN/BS) students at graduation.

“The fact that donors provided this gift to nursing students is both touching and encouraging because getting a stethoscope is the first step towards feeling prepared for new endeavors in the clinical setting,” says associate clinical professor Marianne (Mimi) Snyder, Ph.D., MSN, RN.  

Lopez says, “As a first-gen student, it’s so honoring to be able to show this to my mom and my family in Guatemala, being the first in my family to do something like this.” 

Thanks to this generous gift, generations of UConn Nursing students will carry a reminder of their educational roots with them for years to come. 

Group shot of sophomore students at stethoscope ceremony

To contribute to the UConn School of Nursing please visit: https://nursing.uconn.edu/info-for/donors/