President's Medallion Winner: Marty McNaughton
Hailing from Chicago, Marty McNaughton (BSN ‘25) is a leader and mentor within the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. He was named the American Nurses Association-Illinois' 2024 Student Nurse of the Year and wants to become a critical care nurse.
During his junior year, Marty founded Students for Health Literacy to teach students about the importance of self-advocacy and health education as a patient. As a student leader in the Acute Care Nursing Scholar Program, which prepares students to provide high-quality care to patients in underserved communities, Marty has worked with local high school students interested in pursuing nursing as a career.
He took part in the School of Nursing’s 2024 immersion trip to Lourdes, France, where students assist pilgrims seeking healing at a major Catholic shrine. There, Marty learned a holistic and spiritual approach to caring for patients that he aspires to apply throughout his nursing career.
What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?
I have always been interested in medicine and health care. For a long time, I planned to pursue a medical degree and become a physician. However, after working at a local hospital’s nutrition department, I was inspired by the nurses at the bedside providing 24-hour, hands-on patient care. I realized this was more in line with what I was passionate about.
After graduation, I hope to work in critical care with the possibility of pursuing graduate education to further advance the field of nursing. I have no doubt that I have a strong foundation here at Loyola that will set me up for success, both with clinical knowledge and critical thinking.
What groups have you been involved in on campus to further your commitment to nursing?
During my junior year, I founded Students for Health Literacy with the hopes of spreading awareness on the importance of advocating for yourself and your needs as a patient. I am also involved in Friends of MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders) and Loyola Nursing’s Society of Mentors – I love being able to connect with other nursing students and build a community of like-minded people. These experiences have been very empowering. The Acute Care Nursing Scholars program has provided me with a valuable understanding of how I can use my clinical placements to help patients in medically underserved communities access care.
How did your trip to Lourdes impact your nursing aspirations?
Serving in Lourdes was truly humbling, and it was a privilege to serve people during some of the hardest times in their life. Many seek out Lourdes for its healing nature and being even a small part of that was extremely powerful.
Despite not always speaking the same language as those we cared for, it was powerful to assist each person who came to us in their hour of need. You could almost feel the energy in the room shift once we were through with our prayer and three water gestures (part of the bathing ritual that pilgrims take part in at Lourdes) as part of learning to care for the human spirit. That was my most memorable lesson from my trip.
How has Loyola’s Jesuit mission influenced your nursing experience?
The Jesuit values we as nursing students are taught, such as service to the marginalized, cura personalis, magis, and more, are central to what nursing represents. Loyola’s Jesuit mission has given me the opportunity to learn from enhanced clinical experiences by working with those in medically underserved areas.
I’ve learned how to look beyond a medical diagnosis and focus on treating the person, not just the disease. All of this is done, just as it says on Loyola’s crest, “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” or, “For the greater glory of God.”
Why did you decide to enroll in Loyola Nursing?
I knew that coming to Loyola would grant me the best nursing education possible. I gravitated towards the nursing school’s high national ranking and NCLEX pass rates, and I knew I would be a well-rounded student come graduation.
Throughout my time at Loyola, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of collaboration. I could not have gotten as far as I have in my commitment to serving others without the strong support system of friends, family, peers, and professors backing me up along the way.