In honor of Nurses Week from May 6-12, New@Wilkes is kicking off its new series of profiles of Super Seniors by spotlighting soon-to-be graduates of the Passan School of Nursing.
Meet Super Senior Peter Sidari
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Passan School of Nursing
Hometown: West Pittston, Pa.
Activities and Achievements: Sidari was the president of the National Society of Leadership and Success as well as the UNICEF Club treasurer. His senior capstone project was on using de-escalation techniques versus physical and chemical restraints in reducing injuries in aggressive psychiatric patients. During his undergraduate career, Sidari was an eight-time dean’s list student, a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success as well as a member of Sigma Theta Tau/Zeta Psi Nursing Honor Society. Sidari coordinated community service projects with the Wilkes UNICEF chapter including volunteering at the Weinberg CEO Food Bank, as well as book readings at the Wyoming Valley Children’s Association. He also provided education on campus about humanitarian crises. He served as a representative of the nursing program and was a host for Wilkes “experience in nursing” event, which showed prospective students what a day in the life of a Wilkes nursing student was like.
Noteworthy: Sidari received the Red Cross Medical Hero Award with classmate Amber Ankudovich. The two were driving to a local hospital for clinical assignments in April 2017 when they came upon a bicyclist who was struck by a car near the Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre. They began chest compressions until a registered nurse and the Wilkes-Barre paramedics arrived. The Medical Emergency Services Award recognizes their efforts in representing the values of the American Red Cross.
Favorite part of the Wilkes Experience: “Wilkes Passan School of Nursing provided me with not only a strong foundation of knowledge, but a rich collection of direct patient-care experiences. My classmates and I did clinical rotations at numerous healthcare agencies all over northeastern Pennsylvania in a variety of settings, which I felt was essential to becoming competent caregivers. I also made some of my best friends during my time at Wilkes and my professors were down-to-earth and went out of their way to see my classmates and I succeed.”
Future plans: Sidari accepted a full-time registered nurse position at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital’s cardiac intensive care unit starting this summer. He plans on becoming certified in critical care nursing and prepare for graduate school in advanced practice nursing.
