Benedictine Sisters Get ‘Sneak Peek’ at Saint Leo University’s New Nursing Floor in Former Priory

From its beginning as the priory of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida to what is now a place of learning for Saint Leo University’s nursing program, Benedictine Hall is a site for growth in mind, body, and spirit. 

Recently, the religious sisters along with their guests enjoyed a tour of their former monastery with Dr. Kathleen Van Eerden, dean of the College of Health Professions, who showed off the recently renovated second floor of the building at University Campus. 

From 1960 to 2014, the building served as Holy Name Priory. After being sold to the university, it was converted into university offices with the chapel becoming Saint Leo’s Black Box Theatre. Now, the completely reimagined second floor is dedicated to the Bachelor of Science in nursing program, complete with classrooms, conference rooms, skills lab, simulation labs, lounge areas, and more.  A grand opening will be held later this fall to showcase the space and equipment, which was funded by a state of Florida appropriation and many generous donors.

“That was my room,” said Sister Donna DeWitt, OSB, pointing to an area that now features comfortable couches and tables for the nursing students. DeWitt was the first sister from Holy Name Monastery to graduate from Saint Leo College (now Saint Leo University) after it became a four-year, co-ed institution. While it may have been a small room for DeWitt, the furniture now can be moved in different configurations for various uses within the large space, Van Eerden noted. 

When it was Holy Name Monastery, the three-story building also featured a health floor, said Sister Eileen Dunbar, OSB, who joined the order in 1996. The first floor was used for health care, including taking care of elderly religious sisters.

“I’m thrilled to see these renovations,” Dunbar said. “It’s great that the entire building is being used to its best advantage,” Dunbar said. 

As the Benedictines embrace the concept of balance of mind, body, and spirit so, too does Saint Leo’s nursing degree program. Courses cover topics such as historical and contemporary perspectives of nursing, professionalism, ethics, legal issues, communication, culture and diversity, spirituality, teaching and learning, clinical decision-making, safety, informatics, health care systems, and health policy.

“In addition to our focus on health for those we work with [patients], our programs emphasize clinician well-being — stress management, resilience, mental health, spiritual well-being, and healthy habits and behaviors, in order to provide a base on which to build a long-fulfilling career," Van Eerden said.

The Benedictine Sisters of Florida were eager to hear about the nursing students and how they will use the building. The first cohort of 12 students now are seniors who are engaged in their core nursing courses. 

In their first two years, those majoring in nursing must complete their general college courses, heavy on the sciences, have a minimum 3.3 GPA, and pass the standardized ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills to be considered for admittance to the core nursing program as juniors. Then they begin their hands-on learning. This fall, there are 18 juniors beginning the rigorous program and 160 students are enrolled as nursing majors, Van Eerden said. 

Later this semester, the College of Health Professions will host a Dedication to the Profession Ceremony for the junior nursing program students. This nondenominational service dedicates the student-nurses’ hands to healing and is a time to reflect upon why they have committed themselves to the profession of nursing. 

Touch is an integral part of the work of nurses so it is appropriate for this ceremony to take place prior to a nursing student’s first contact, or touch, of a person during their first clinical nursing course, Van Eerden explained. “This helps them understand the spiritual connection to nursing.” 

“The spirit heals the mind and body,” said Father John McEvoy during the visit to the new nursing floor. McEvoy assists the sisters and University. “If the spirit isn’t healed, you can’t heal the mind and body.”