by Clem Boyd, Communication Content Manager
When the year started, Rachel Hartley was hard at work as a preoperative surgical nurse in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she helped prepare 30 to 50 patients a day for elective and emergency surgery. Then the coronavirus swept through the nation. Elective surgeries were postponed as the hospital readied itself for a surge of patients impacted by COVID-19.
Then Hartley began hearing from recruiters seeking nurses and healthcare workers to help out in pandemic-ravaged New York City. Hartley had trained as a critical care nurse in Columbus after Cedarville, and she felt the Lord’s nudging.
She and her husband, Taylor, made the trip from Virginia to NYC in their sailboat, Turning Points, and stayed on board instead of having to rent. A marina in Brooklyn, which normally charged up to $11,000 per month, offered them free docking. Confirmation from the Lord.
Hartley said that both her undergrad and her current Cedarville Master of Science – Family Nurse Practitioner programs have prepared her well to care for patients physically while also offering spiritual care through the Gospel. She and her husband’s desire to honor God and serve the people of New York in response has taken them on an incredible journey. But all along, they are anchored in their faith.
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More to the Story
Taylor Hartley has his own photography business: thartleyphotography.com.
The Hartleys’ story can also be found on the Cedarville University website.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.