UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Amber Bisking and Lexy Fortney both graduated this spring with bachelor of science in nursing degrees from the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State. Soon they’ll be colleagues. But, for all they have in common, their paths to the degree were quite different.
Fortney came more or less straight through — a traditional bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) student and one of the student marshals for the class of 2026.
Bisking’s journey was longer: she earned an associate degree, started working at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in 2023, and then began the RN to BSN program offered online through Penn State World Campus, working full time and raising her 6-year-old son.
“It was definitely one of the more challenging seasons of my life,” Bisking said. “There were days where I would have to put a time slot in my calendar to wash my hair, or I would have to put a time slot in my calendar to eat. It did get really, really hectic.”
Through it all, her home base was Hershey Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular ICU/CCU. That was where she met Fortney, who arrived for the capstone that would close her nursing degree, with Bisking assigned as her preceptor. Fortney had already been hired onto the unit, with a start date after graduation; for now, it was where she would train.
Over 12-hour shifts, Bisking taught Fortney about assessments, vital signs, medication administration, charting, safety checks, infection prevention practices, and the flow of a nurse’s day. She also helped Fortney develop her clinical judgment.
“Learning how to assess your patient the moment you walk into the room by using all of your senses helps establish a baseline and detect any changes in your patient's condition,” Bisking said. “Developing those basic nursing skills is part of the day-to-day things that they’re learning.”
The unit is among the hospital’s most intense — a floor for patients recovering from open-heart surgery and heart transplants, some on advanced cardiac support, some intubated. Fortney threw herself into the work. She spent the first minutes of each shift looking up her patients, then stayed at Bisking’s side — “hip to hip,” as she put it.
For Fortney, the experience was demanding, but Bisking kept it from feeling intimidating. She said Bisking created the kind of learning environment that made it easier to ask questions, try skills more than once, and understand why each step mattered.
“She’s one of the best preceptors I’ve ever had during my time at Penn State,” Fortney said. “She questions you while you’re doing things so that you understand the why behind everything you’re doing.”
The admiration runs both ways.
“I was super impressed with her,” Bisking said, describing Fortney as kind, professional and eager to learn.
The capstone ended that spring. A few weeks later came commencement.
Fortney knew Bisking was finishing her BSN. But she did not realize until commencement day that they would be graduating together.
At a luncheon before the ceremony, Fortney was talking with professors and friends when she heard someone call out. She turned around and saw Bisking.
“She had told me during my capstone that she was also finishing her BSN, but I didn’t realize she was going to be graduating with me,” Fortney said. “That was really cool to see.”
The pair took photos and walked into graduation together. Fortney also met Bisking’s family and son, whom she had heard about during capstone shifts.
“It was such a full-circle moment, because she had done so much for me and taught me so much,” Fortney said.
After graduation, the two kept in close contact via text messages. Bisking shared updates about her son, fielded questions about onboarding, and cheered Fortney on as she sat for the NCLEX, the national licensure exam every new nurse must pass.
This month, Fortney will move to Hershey and begin orientation for her new position. She said she is eager to put her education into practice after years of preparing for the responsibility.
Bisking is looking forward to it, too.
“She’s going to be a great asset to our team,” Bisking said. “I’m excited for her to start.”
Although Fortney has graduated, she said she still feels connected to the Penn State community that supported her through school. That support, she said, makes the transition into practice feel less daunting.
“The same people who taught me are still there for me now,” Fortney said. “It feels like I’m starting to make a little family on the unit.”