Editor's Note: This is the final installment in a four-part feature series as USC Upstate Athletics, in partnership with the USC Upstate Mary Black School of Nursing, recognizes former student-athletes in the nursing profession in conjunction with International Nurses Day, Tuesday, May 12.  The features include: Francis Gyau '16 '18 (men's soccer), Samantha (Seelinger) DeMartino '15 (women's soccer), Georgina Ravan '99 (women's tennis).

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – New college graduates all over the world are currently making unconventional entrances into the working world, and for former USC Upstate women's soccer player Mia Raiff, the transition to being a full-time nurse has been anything but ordinary.

Raiff, a native of Ohio and a 2020 graduate of the Mary Black School of Nursing, has been working on the inpatient oncology unit at Spartanburg Medical Center since the week before graduation. Though she has yet to schedule her NCLEX, she has been able to get a head start on orientation and getting acclimated to the floor. "I've been helping out with basic patient care," said Raiff. "It's been good to start getting those patient skills, seeing what all the nurses do and how everything works, and getting a lot of logistical things out of the way so when I do take my NCLEX, it will be a much smoother transition and I can go straight into the nursing role."

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the NCLEX process difficult. Raiff explains that the process of sending off forms to be able to schedule your test has been delayed, but she is hopeful to be able to schedule her testing date within the next couple of weeks. "You don't want to take the NCLEX right away, but you also don't want to wait too long either. Because of the coronavirus, they are having limited testing dates and sites, so that could put you taking it in July or August. They are also making the test shorter, so if you get some questions wrong, your score will be worse," Raiff explained.

Raiff has wanted to be a nurse ever since she was young, but it took a wake-up call during her freshman to realize just how much she wanted it. "I didn't do too well in my prerequisites my freshman year, and when it came time to meet with my advisor, she was like, 'I don't know if your GPA is going to be high enough to get into the nursing program…would you maybe want to switch your major?' I just looked at her, said no, and walked out with tears running down my face thinking I do not want to do anything else. That's when it hit me how much I wanted to be a nurse," Raiff said. She knew what she wanted to do, and when she saw there was a chance it could be taken away from her, she knew she had to wake up and get it together. "I had to make all A's in the rest of my classes, and I pulled it off because I knew nursing is what I was called to do and I couldn't see myself doing anything else," she said. "And now that I'm getting introduced to it and getting to interact with patients, I'm seeing more and more why I wanted to do this and how I can make an impact on my patients and my workplace." Raiff eventually wants to go back to school to be a nurse practitioner, but says she needs to figure out what area she wants to go into first.

Back in January of this year, Raiff says her last semester of school was starting off pretty normally. They had talked about COVID-19 slightly, but didn't start really talking about it until February. "One of my community teachers was telling us, 'guys this is scary and if it gets here, it could be really bad if we're not prepared for it,' but sitting there listening, you're like this isn't really going to happen, but as time goes on and it gets here, you're like wow she was right," Raiff said.

Raiff explains that in the last half of your last semester of nursing school, you're supposed to be working on a designated unit with a nurse on her actual schedule doing things under the school's license, so that's when you get to see and learn things that you would normally just read about in a text book. "There's a lot of things you can read about, but you don't really understand it until you do it. During your practicum is the time to try new things and learn more skills, so it was hard not having that," she said. "Our teachers put a lot of work into putting assignments online for us, and it was good to have that, but it was still just different having it online versus in person. The teachers made it pretty strenuous so we would have a lot to do during the week."

Her biggest challenge in her time as a student-athlete came during the fall semester of senior year because nursing school picked up all while she was trying to focus on her senior soccer season. "Junior year of nursing school you're just kind of getting used to things and they are helping you through it, but senior year, you're on your own," Raiff said. "And then in soccer, it's your senior year and you're expected to be a leader. Everything was just happening at once and there were days where I literally didn't know what I was going to do." She faced the challenge of having to be honest with her coach and tell him she would have to miss practice on certain days, but she made up for it by having individual sessions with him early in the mornings. Then she would go to class, and then go back to practice with the team. "Mia is one of the hardest working people I have ever met," said head women's soccer coach Tyson John. "She not only excelled as a student-athlete, but as a leader. She invited challenges, and enjoys problem solving for the greater good."

Having a healthy lifestyle was crucial to Raiff being able to handle everything going on senior year. "I had to learn that my phone had to be put down at 10:30 every night because I have to be in bed and get up early. I have to eat a breakfast and I have to eat lunch. Even if I'm in class or clinical, I have to get something in my system so I'm able to go into practice. That senior fall semester, I struggled with having to go from clinical straight to a game so it was like coming home, getting something in my system, hydrating all day, maybe if I was lucky take a 20-minute nap, and then I was out the door because I had to be in the locker room," Raiff explained. "Honestly it was a grind, but that's what I live for. That's what drives me and what motivates me, to get these things done but getting them done well and effectively and not doing it half-heartedly. Making sure I'm putting my full effort into both things because I love both things, and both things deserve that commitment. There's definitely been weeks and months where I was like I want to quit/I can't do this, but I don't believe in quitting either. You find a way to get it done. Whether its sacrificing your free time or a Friday or Saturday night, you just figure out a way to get it done."

"Being a student-athlete has required Mia to balance a rigorous academic schedule with the athletic regimen participating in a DI soccer program demands. This forced Mia to make choices and sacrifices that her peers did not have to make since both programs require a large time commitment and a significant amount of hard work," said senior nursing instructor Sarah Branan, MSN, RN. "Many of the qualities that Mia learned from being an athlete such as valuing hard work, teamwork, collaboration, and professionalism helped her succeed in the nursing program and will continue to help her throughout her nursing career. I am very proud of the work that Mia has accomplished at USC Upstate. She demonstrates tremendous potential as a nurse and leader, and I believe she will be an asset to any area where she devotes her time and energy."

Raiff certainly believes that her time as a student-athlete at Upstate and the time management skills she learned prepared her for her nursing career. "Once you get to work, that's when your skills come into play because its high stress and high pace. There are so many things going on and so many things to get done, but you have to get them done effectively because you're handling someone's life," she said. "I think being able to have all those things thrown at me fall semester of senior year has helped me deal with it all at work because I'm less stressed out, and when I do get stressed out, I know how to handle it. A lot of people can't take it because of how high pace, high stress, and high risk it is, but if you have time and stress management skills, you're able to handle it."

"Mia was a dedicated student who brought the same level of enthusiasm to the soccer field as she applied to the nursing profession. Mia is consistently professional, caring, respectful, and punctual. She promotes safety within the clinical environment and demonstrates clinical competence," said nursing instructor Lisa Erwin, MSN/Ed, RN. "Mia communicates therapeutically in verbal, nonverbal, and technological formats, and is culturally competent. She integrates knowledge and can apply the nursing process to deliver quality care that is evidence based. She is meticulous to detail, honest and trustworthy. These traits empower Mia to be a positive team-player in all that she undertakes throughout life. I enjoyed having her in my didactic and clinical course as her smile and sense of humor brightened each day."

Raiff's advice to other nursing student-athletes is to find a balance between sports, school, and free time, all while taking care of yourself. She says your sport is important and school is more important, but if you're not taking care of yourself, you will suffer in all areas. "It concerns me when I see someone stressing out so badly that they can't get anything done because at the end of the day, it's a test or a game or a practice. I know you're not promised tomorrow, but if you make a mistake, hopefully there is a chance to make it up tomorrow," she said. "Take care of yourself and rely on friends and family when you can. Mine pulled me through more than I ever thought they would. If you make it a priority to take care of yourself, you do better in the other two categories."