Why I Chose Nursing: 2026 KU School of Nursing graduates share their passion

From military bases to small Midwest hospitals, nurses are needed everywhere. The University of Kansas School of Nursing class of 2026 is fanning out to fill the voids.

Students from across Kansas, the United States and the world flock to KU Medical Center for the education they need to join the healthcare workforce. These learners come from a variety of backgrounds, but all have one thing in common: a desire to care for their communities as physicians, nurses or other healthcare professionals.

Below, in the last of three stories highlighting students graduating from KU Medical Center this week, two of KU’s new nursing graduates share their “why.” (Read the first story and the second story in the series.)

Madison Kidwell

Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee

Campus and degree: Kansas City campus, BSN

Why nursing: Kidwell enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at the age of 18. After basic training, she worked as a dental laboratory technician, three years at Joint Base San Antonio and then three at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. She made gold crowns, retainers and dentures for service members — but she didn’t actually interact with those service members very often.

“Every time I got to see a patient I really, really enjoyed it,” she said. “I started looking more into patient-facing careers, and then I found nursing — and fell in love with it.”

While still working full-time, Kidwell tackled a full-time community college courseload at night to complete prerequisites for nursing school.

Kidwell initially joined the military to get a degree. The more she saw the sacrifices made by military members, the more she was inspired to contribute.

“I felt like (nursing) was the perfect way to combine my passion for medicine and also giving back.”

What’s next: Kidwell’s dream is to eventually become an Air Force flight nurse.

Her next step is officer training school. Then she has an assignment working as a medical-surgical nurse at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Madison Warner

Hometown: Kingman, Kansas

Campus and degree: Salina campus, BSN

Why nursing: Patients in the dementia unit of the nursing home in her hometown of 3,100 inspired Warner to pursue nursing.

“Those people just found their way into my heart,” Warner said.

Warner became a certified nursing assistant and began working at the nursing home while she was in high school. She continued working there during college, when she was home for breaks.

“You have to have a lot of patience,” Warner said. An ability to stay open-minded and lighthearted helps, too.

The dementia unit can be especially challenging, and it isn’t for everyone. For Warner, the experience solidified her desire to help people by becoming a nurse.

What’s next: Warner has a nursing job on the orthopedic medical-surgical floor at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

She loved her two years of undergraduate work at KU in Lawrence, then nursing school in Salina. But she’s excited to start practicing closer to where she grew up.

Hutchinson is about an hour from Kingman. It’s not uncommon for people there to drive that distance for work or healthcare, so it’s likely Warner will be seeing patients from her hometown.

“In high school I couldn’t wait to leave my hometown,” Warner said, “but I’m definitely ready to be back.”