WHITEVILLE — Alex Barton’s journey from early college student to clinical nursing instructor has come full circle at Southeastern Community College, where she now helps first‑year Associate Degree Nursing and practical nursing students build confidence at the bedside.
Through a clinical partnership between SCC and Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Barton — a Beaverdam native and full‑time CRHS nurse — guides students through hands‑on patient care on the hospital’s sixth floor. Her goal, she said, is simple: help students trust their skills.
“They are smart, they have amazing instructors, they are studying and doing all these things to prepare for class,” Barton said. “But they’ve just got to get out there and get their hands in it, and that’s where I help them through it and cheer them on.”
A Day in Clinicals
Barton begins her day at 6 a.m., with students arriving shortly after. She gathers the morning report, assigns tasks that match what students are learning in class, and oversees their work with hospital patients. Students practice vital signs, assessments, documentation, and bedside care — skills Barton says are essential for new nurses.
She listens to lung and heart sounds alongside students, observes their assessments, and offers feedback on what they did well and what needs improvement. At the end of each shift, Barton leads a debriefing session where students talk through what they learned and what challenged them.
“I just love building them all up, and I love helping them get confident,” she said. “If I can instill that into my students now, the rest is going to fall into place.”
A Calling Shaped by Family
Barton didn’t initially plan to become a nurse. That changed when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Watching the compassion shown by doctors and nurses during her mother’s treatment “opened a compassion I didn’t know I had,” she said. By age 16, she knew nursing was her path.
She earned her Associate Degree Nursing from SCC in 2019, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2021) and Master of Science in Nursing Education (2024) from UNC Wilmington.
Mentors Who Made a Difference
Barton credits several SCC instructors — including retired nursing instructor Penny Horne and current Dean of Nursing and Healthcare Training Jessica Hill — for shaping her approach to teaching.
She also points to her mentorship at Donayre Cancer Care Center, where SCC graduates Jonathan Soles and Sherry Ashley helped her grow into the nurse she is today.
“I always tell people that Mrs. Sherry is the reason that I am the way I am with patients,” Barton said. “She showed me how to give everything to them: the love, the patience and attention they needed.”
Life Beyond the Hospital
Outside of work, Barton is active at Cypress Creek Church, where her husband, Jeff, serves as pastor. They enjoy music, reading, fitness, and spending time outdoors with their daughters, Eliza Jane and Josey Kate.
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