Finding purpose in care: UC graduate charts a new course in nursing
As he prepares to graduate on December 12 with his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Cincinnati, Keegan Farrell is quick to admit that this wasn’t the career path he pictured for himself when he first arrived on campus eight years ago.
“I came to UC in 2017 set on going to med school,” says Farrell, who grew up in Columbus and completed a pre-medical Health Sciences degree at the UC College of Allied Health Sciences in 2021. “Healthcare was always where I wanted to be.”
But graduating in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic shifted everything. “The whole med-school thing didn’t sound very appetizing whatsoever,” he remembers with a laugh.
Farrell and AmeriCorps team members constructing an outdoor meditation space at Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center
Farrell then decided to take a break and signed up for something radically different: an 11-month volunteer service term with AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). As a team leader, he supervised 11 young adults while traveling throughout the Southwest to tackle community projects — from managing prescribed burns in Missouri’s state parks to preparing taxes for low-income families in Denver.
“We never really knew where we were going next,” Farrell says. “I got to lead people older than me, work in totally new environments and grow in ways I didn’t expect.”
While the program sent him on a wide range of assignments, one of the most memorable involved creating fire lines and conducting controlled burns. “We’d spend weeks clearing brush and cutting trees to establish the boundaries,” he explains. “Then on burn day, you’d have 15 to 20 people out there from sunrise to sunset. Safety was everything. It was intense, but incredible.”
Farrell and his burn crew igniting the fire on the perimeter of a square mile prescribed burn at Prairie State Park, in Missouri
When the service term ended, Farrell extended his time working with prescribed burns in Missouri before returning to Ohio.
“I’ve always considered the master’s in nursing as an option, but it then became clear that route would provide me with opportunities for direct patient care, real interaction,” he says. “I realized nursing offers exactly what I was looking for.”
For several reasons, UC’s Accelerated Direct-Entry MSN program was the perfect fit for Farrell. “Walking out with a master’s degree in under two years… there’s no better value. Cincinnati has felt like home for a long time, so coming back to UC was an easy choice.”
Discovering the heart of nursing
Despite his strong academic background, the nursing program surprised Farrell in meaningful ways.
“I came in with a very book-focused mindset,” he recalls. “I underestimated how much of the learning happens in clinicals; that’s where everything came together. I’d say 80% of what it means to be a nurse, I learned in clinical.”
Farrell (far right), AMSN program classmates and preceptor at UC West Chester Hospital clinicals
His favorite? A no-contest pick: his role-transition placement in UC Medical Center’s Flex ICU.
“I feel like I found a home up there. The unit culture is amazing, the acuity is amazing — the nurse-patient ratio allows you to go deep with your patients. It’s the kind of environment where I feel like I can give the best care.”
Long term, Farrell sees himself continuing to grow in acute and critical care settings.
“I was originally set on anesthesia school, but spending time in Flex made me realize I could see myself staying in ICU for a few years and enjoying the ride. Watching the APRNs up there, I could be really happy doing that, too. That’s what I love about nursing — you have options.”
Whatever comes next, he knows the foundation formed at UC will stay with him.
“It always circles back to the patients,” he says. “I’ve had so many meaningful interactions, I’m grateful every day that I get to take care of people. That’s in my blood. And that’s what I’ll take with me.”
Featured image: Keegan Farrell (center) and fellow corps members preparing for a prescribed burn at Prairie State Park in their first project as a team. / Photo provided.
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