Team Player

Sibberson Award winner brings team spirit and work ethic to nursing career

Paige Robbins, bsn ’23. Photo by Jeremy Wangler

From The Ichabod - Fall 2023
By Lindsay Thompson

Paige Robbins is fascinated by how the human body works.

“All these little things are happening on a micro scale,” said Robbins, bsn ’23. “Both for conscious things like walking and the things you don’t see or think about like digestion and heartbeat. I think it is interesting how it all works together to make the big picture happen.”

It is not surprising that Robbins is drawn to the network of systems inside the body and the complex but beautiful ways they support one another. Not only does it speak to her intellectual curiosity, but it also is a model of her values and motivations. She believes in the power of teamwork, dedicating her energy to helping others and working tirelessly to get the job done.

Robbins brings these three qualities to everything she does, and that approach has brought her success. As a student, Robbins won the 2023 Sibberson Award for the School of Nursing because of her academics and other work.

She comes from a family lineage of nurses, teachers and law enforcement officers. Helping others was a value she was encouraged to apply in her professional and personal choices. Volunteering was a regular practice, helping at the WU Moves Community Wellness Center, the Sheldon Head Start program and Pine Ridge Family Health Center. She loved career-relevant experiences like administering vaccinations and hearing and vision screenings.

She was also a member of the Washburn softball team. Balancing practice and away games alongside her classes, clinicals and studying was difficult, but she was passionate and determined to play. A head injury in 2021 took her out of the game for nearly a year. She had a challenging recovery but returned to the field for the 2022 season. The Ichabods won the MIAA regular season championship that year.

Robbins credits support from her professors, coaches and teammates, including two fellow nursing students, for helping her achieve her goals on and off the field. But many who know her point to her hard work and positive attitude as the keys to her success.

“Paige was an absolute delight to have in the classroom and clinical setting. She always gave 110%,” said Crystal Stevens, msn ’07, dnp ’18, associate professor, School of Nursing. “No matter what was thrown at her, she excelled. She is a great addition to the nursing profession.”

Robbins is now an ER nurse at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, realizing her dreams and giving 110% to help her patients and support her team.

“The ER was always where I wanted to be growing up, and it was what I loved the most in my clinicals,” she said.