Patricia McDowell-Goulstone

A passion for nursing elevates patient care at Geisinger

Patricia McDowell

Fifty-four years after graduating from the Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing, Patricia "Petey" McDowell-Goulstone continues to inspire others to join her beloved nursing profession. An endowment she started in 1992 provides nursing scholarships to college students who without this assistance may never have been able to afford college.

Whether it was a calling or fate, Petey McDowell-Goulstone of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, knew she would become a Geisinger nurse since she was a little girl. Standing in a hallway of the medical center in Danville while waiting to bring home her newborn baby sister, 5-year-old Petey felt at home. 

"I told my parents that night that I would be back someday as a Geisinger nurse," recalls Petey. 

Years later, as a young adult, Petey did just that. She attended Geisinger's School of Nursing, an experience she treasures. She notes her instructors were excellent. She enjoyed a flourishing career before retiring to raise a family.

Funds from the Patricia A. McDowell Endowed Nursing Scholarship can be used by eligible Bloomsburg University students to help pay for tuition and books.

"Over the years, some of the scholarship recipients have written or called to thank me," says Petey. "It is enormously fulfilling."

"Nursing was one of the best experiences I ever had," says Petey. "The endowment enables me to give back to Geisinger and give someone who has enthusiasm for nursing an opportunity to be a Geisinger nurse."