Ensuring Success Among Future Nurses: Linda Del Monte, BSN ’77/CON

Linda Del Monte, BSN ’77, first learned about RUSH University College of Nursing through a friend who was a student at the time. Impressed by how well trained the nurses were, she decided to look into entering the field herself, applied to the nursing program and was able to receive a full-tuition scholarship.

“What I remember most about my time as a student at RUSH was the encouragement and emphasis on education and looking at things from a scientific basis,” she said. “They also really stressed the autonomy of nursing and always advocating for patients. That’s what made RUSH so unique.”

After graduating from the College of Nursing in 1977, Del Monte worked at RUSH for a total of seven years. She also spent five years working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia and more than 20 years in clinical marketing, including at Medtronic, where she interacted with health professionals and systems worldwide. She largely credits RUSH for her gratifying and diverse nursing journey.

“It’s important to know that there are no real limits as to what you can do with a nursing education,” Del Monte said. “I was fortunate to have many rewarding experiences as a nurse, and I owe everything to my education here. It all started at RUSH, where I was taught critical thinking skills and how to be a strong patient advocate — all skills that transferred into the different paths I took in my career.

After retiring from her career at Medtronic in 2011, Del Monte felt it was time to pay it forward so others could have successful careers while also helping the field of nursing flourish.

“There’s a tremendous shortage of nurses, and many more retiring from the field,” said Del Monte, a member of RUSH’s Golden Lamp Society, which supports educational and research opportunities for RUSH University College of Nursing students. “College has become so expensive nowadays compared to when I attended. Financial need shouldn’t be the reason qualified candidates can’t attend. So you have to do something to widen the net and allow more people to go to school and allow educators to pursue advancement opportunities.”

To meet this growing need, she established the Linda Del Monte Endowed Scholarship. Her gift will give future nurses a chance to pursue their own meaningful health care careers at RUSH — where two nursing programs are ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

While Del Monte initially funded the scholarship through a gift, she also made a bequest intention that will later widen the scholarship’s reach to more students.

The blended gift to RUSH came at a perfect time for Del Monte as she also began taking a required minimum distribution from her retirement account, maximizing tax advantages while funding the scholarship. Medtronic was also able to match a portion of her donation, amplifying her already generous gift, as well as her RUSH legacy.

“There are so many fulfilling moments as a nurse, working with patients and families during what is often a stressful time for them,” said Del Monte. “RUSH taught me a lot about life, death, joy and acceptance — and I want to help provide nursing students those same life-altering lessons and moments.

“The College of Nursing gave me so much. My time here was so valuable. It felt right to pay it forward, and what better place to leave a legacy than someplace that gave you so much?”

Del Monte is also a member of the Rush Heritage Society and Anchor Cross Society. Learn more about RUSH’s giving societies, what they support and how they celebrate our donors’ generosity.