February 16, 2021
A 2006 alumnus of Shawnee State University, Chad Lore found a way to give back to his community in his role as a Nurse Practitioner at Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC). After attending two different universities trying to settle on a career path, Lore found his place in the Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) program at SSU. Welcoming the program’s challenges, he got to graduation feeling prepared for his next steps.
“The professors in the program were a huge influence,” he said. “Not just in our education, but throughout the rest of the prep for my career – they taught us how to conduct ourselves professionally, how to grow and push the boundaries further in your roles. I credit them a lot for my success.”
Taking his first job in the nursing field, Lore felt he had an advantage in his position thanks to his education.
“The first thing they said to me at the interview was ‘we love Shawnee students,’” he said. “They knew we were taught well and that we could conduct ourselves professionally. They knew the quality of students that our program pushes out.”
Working in his field while returning to SSU to do a hybrid program to complete his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Lore appreciated how so much of what he was learning in the classroom helped confirm the importance of the techniques and practices he was using on the job. After receiving his BSN, he eventually enrolled to receive his Master of Science in Nursing to become a Nurse Practitioner. From there, he found his place at SOMC.
Working in palliative care and hospice, Lore was a Clinical Lead helping to build the Palliative Care program at SOMC. Working in the Cancer Center, he has been able to see many of his programs – including the outpatient and inpatient hospital programs –grow while meeting and caring for cancer patients. Dealing in unfortunate circumstances, Lore still finds his work to be rewarding.
“By having honest interactions with people, I can help make a difference,” he said. “Whether it be preparing a patient, managing symptoms, following up with family members – I get to have the opportunity to make a difference in our community every day. That’s what’s special about being from here and still serving this community – I get to impact these people.”
The impact of COVID-19 in the workplace has been felt in his role as well as Lore and his staff have had to adjust their interactions with patients and their families.
“It’s affected us tremendously,” he said. “We are more limited in how we interact with patients and families. I’m not only taking care of that patient with cancer – I’m taking care of their spouse, their children. I’m learning how they’re responding, how they’re dealing with the patient being sicker, how they’re coping with bad news on progression of the disease. Pre-COVID we had a better grasp of that. Now, we don’t always know because we don’t always have families with the patients at appointments. It’s changed those dynamics a lot and have made it more difficult to navigate.”
Even with added responsibility a career in nursing can bring, Lore knows it was the right career for him. To others thinking of a similar career, he shares how unique nursing can be.
“Nursing is so diverse,” he said. “You have so many opportunities – whether it is bedside care, management, analytical, or leadership opportunities, the list goes on. Nursing is one of those types of careers that if you have a genuine care for people, you can find a fit.”
This spotlight is part of an ongoing series by the SSU Alumni Association in celebration of the university’s 35 Years milestone. To learn more about alumni making a difference in their careers, visit shawneestatealumni.com for more features.