2021 Preceptor Recognition
Basic BSN Program
Pictured above: Tara Legler, RN with Banner Wyoming Medical Center
University of Wyoming faculty and students work with "preceptors" - nurses who mentor
our students in a variety of clinical settings. The Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing,
in an effort to recognize preceptors--especially those who go above and beyond--presents
an award annually to a preceptor in those UW School of Nursing programs with clinical
components. Students nominate preceptors for these awards.
Tara Legler
The preceptor chosen from the Basic BSN program is Tara Legler, worked as a nurse
in Banner Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, Wyoming at the time she precepted our
student. The student who nominated our winner said the following:
“Tara was recently nominated one of Wyoming's Nurses of the Year. After my semester
with her, it is no surprise. I came to her a timid student with little self-confidence
and full of doubt. She took my potential and built me up in ways I didn't know was
possible. She imbedded a deep confidence and sense of hope within me. She essentially
went from holding my hand with each little task to trusting me to take on the multiple
assigned patients alone, while she still worked in the background but let me take
the lead. I am unsure I will ever be able to properly thank her for the way she impacted
me as a person and a student. I will be a great nurse, and it's because of her. I
will never forget us being in the room as a patient was told he only had a couple
weeks to live. He teared up and thanked us for caring for him. When we left the room
we were both emotional. She looked at me said, ‘This happened to me when I was a student,
and my preceptor told me to get it together and suck it up.’ She told me, ‘Never be
ashamed of your compassion and empathy. The day you stop having empathy for you patients
is the day you should no longer be a nurse.’ I will never forget that moment and many
others with Tara. I feel beyond fortunate to have learned from her.
–Haley Crews, Basic BSN Student 2021
Thank you, Tara, for your willingness to precept our students!
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Page updated: 09-01-2021
