Finding Her Passion for Mental Health Care

Kate Snider, a 2022 BSN graduate, received the Nurse of the Year Award in 2025 for her entire unit at the psychiatric Emergency Room at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The award is part of the annual Institute of Psychiatry Excellence Awards. Each year, a nurse is nominated from her unit, as well as each of the inpatient floors at the inpatient psych hospital. Peers vote on each nomination, then management adds input.

What made you consider nursing as a career?

As a teenager, I was a lifeguard and swim lesson instructor during the summer months. This really ignited the passion I have for helping others and being responsible for their safety. Additionally, my older brother is a Type 1 diabetic. I remember when he was first diagnosed, I was so intrigued by this disease and how it affected him. I realized how much I love learning about all aspects of health and the human body.

What set WVU SON apart from other colleges for you?

WVU SON has extensive hands-on clinicals and learning opportunities that sets them apart from other schools. Being able to learn anatomy in a cadaver lab is not a common experience and is one of the perks that makes WVU unique.

Could you share a positive experience from your time at the SON?

All of my clinical rotations and groups were such a positive experience for me. The way they are structured, you spend weeks at a time with the same students. This almost forces you to become friends very quickly and lean on each other for help and advice often. The friendships you form during nursing school truly make the experience so much better!

What’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self?

One piece of advice I would give my younger self would be to ask more questions. Being a nursing student can be very intimidating, but the best way to learn is to dive right in and ask all the questions!

Could you tell me more about your career?

I am a Relief Staff Leader in the psychiatric Emergency Room at the Medical University of South Carolina. When patients check in to the emergency department, they are medically cleared and then moved to our area of the ER to be seen by psychiatry. From there, the providers decide whether to admit them to the inpatient psychiatric hospital, discharge them, or provide them with additional mental health resources.

My job responsibilities include doing a comprehensive psychiatric assessment, additional medical workups, charge nursing, therapeutic communication, maintaining safety of the patients and environment, and much more. I am very passionate about mental health and I am proud to work for an organization that prioritizes mental health emergencies.

How has your WVU SON education helped you in your career?

I became really interested in psych during senior year when we had our psych rotation. The professors at WVU go above and beyond to prepare you for the “real world” of nursing. Doing clinical at Chestnut Ridge gave me a glance on what a career in psych could look like.

What’s next for you?

In the future, I am planning on going back to school to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I will be forever grateful for my time at WVU SON. It is where I learned to be a confident, resourceful and knowledgeable nurse. It is also where I met some of my best friends still to this day!