Graduation Week 2021: Emma Mutimer

Emma Mutimer’s passion for nursing began at a young age.

She mentioned her father has been chronically ill, even before she was born, and she was often in a hospital setting.

“In this setting, I was able to personally witness the care nurses provide,” said Mutimer, who is graduating from the Augusta University College of Nursing. “I was astonished at the love and selflessness nurses possess, and it created a desire in me to be the same.”

Mutimer began her collegiate career at Augusta University during her senior year at Augusta Christian Schools. She completed several classes while she was dual enrolled, then completed her undergraduate and nursing courses.

When she originally started nursing school, she thought of possibly becoming a pediatric nurse but then became interested in plastic surgery and dermatology. She plans to work at a private practice after graduation.

“I really enjoy the intimacy of an office in comparison to a hospital, and I think this will be a great fit,” she said.

Assistant professor in the College of Nursing, Dawn Langley-Brady, PhD, said she found Mutimer “to be kind, caring, compassionate, extremely bright and eager to learn. She is the ideal student and will be an amazing nurse.”

“Emma is definitely passionate about nursing and providing high-quality, compassionate care to improve patient outcomes,” said Langley-Brady, who has been at AU for nine years. “I taught Emma in pediatric clinical at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia and she did an excellent job providing patient and family-centered care. 

“The assigned pediatric patients and their parents absolutely loved Emma. She related well to pediatric patients of all ages and made them feel comfortable and cared for. I told her that she would make a phenomenal pediatric nurse.”

Mutimer said the past year and half confirmed to her that she was pursing the right profession.

“Health care workers certainly know challenge and stress, and that has only increased in the past year and a half … after witnessing this type of stress for the majority of my nursing experience, it has absolutely confirmed my being in the right profession,” she said. “The Lord creates in each of us the ability to fulfill our God-given purpose, and I unquestionably see this as mine.”

Langley-Brady said her compassion, understanding and willingness to work will benefit her in the long run.

“Emma’s understanding of and commitment to the difficult job of nursing will definitely benefit her in the long run,” Langley-Brady said. “I have seen students graduate, enter the profession, and leave within a couple of years. This outcome is heartbreaking for faculty and colleges of nursing who dedicate themselves to student success.

“The work of nursing is hard — physically, mentally and emotionally demanding — and is often accompanied by short-staffing and a lack of understanding and support. Additionally, nursing care without compassion and understanding doesn’t behoove our patients or colleagues and makes the job even more difficult. Knowing the demands of nursing upfront and committing to be a compassionate, understanding and hardworking nurse will not only benefit Emma, but every single patient she touches for the rest of her life.”

Mutimer said both of her my parents have motivated her to follow her dreams, along with an uncle who was also a health care worker.

“They pushed me to pursue my interests and passions, despite their difficulty,” she said. “Since starting college, my husband has stood alongside me and provided constant encouragement. I think we all know the difficulty and stress that college can present, let alone nursing school. It has been a challenging set of years, but it has all been worth it.

“I could not be more thankful for the support system that I have been blessed with. The faculty throughout my education have been overall supportive and encouraging, especially those within my program.”

For anyone considering nursing as a profession, Mutimer said not to take nursing lightly.

“It is not a profession for the weak! You must be prepared and ready to work,” she said. “Though, if you are dedicated and passionate, you can do it. Try not to doubt yourself even though it can get hard; it will definitely be worth it in the end.”