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Amaro defines the new system as , “ seamless .”
“ The RN Program adds a level of thinking and understanding regarding what ’ s going on with the patient ,” Susan Turner , Lead Instructor for the RN Nursing Program , said .
“ They have so much experience , hands on training at the very basic level , and then they start building in the LVN . By the time they get to their RN year , it ’ s very complex thinking , and I think it ’ s a good way to learn .”
Turner went on to explain that the California Board of Registered Nurses has increased the body of knowledge that ’ s required of all nursing students .
“ It ’ s much different than when I graduated . Much more difficult ,” she said .
Surprisingly , the majority of nursing students are in their ‘ 30s , and ‘ 40s . As Turner explained : students that age have responsibilities in their lives outside of school , adding an additional degree of difficulty t o graduating the program , but more of an accomplishment when they succeed .
Aimer Hyer , a 2016 RN graduate , secured her first nursing position in March of this year at Valley Medical Center , in the Three Surgical Unit which is one step down from the Critical Care unit . She also cares patients who come out of surgery to make sure the they are stable .
“ Every time I walk into that hospital , I feel like I ’ m home .” Hyer said , adding that she is proud to have graduated from Gavilan , “ Because it is such a good program .” Martinez echoes Hyer ’ s sentiment . “ We are who we are because of the program . The program taught us how to be these kinds of nurses ,” Martinez said , adding , “ It was hard , but you just do it .”
Stubblefield and Turner feel confident that all Gavilan nursing
graduates are more than prepared to step into the real world of nursing .
“ Employers tell us that our students , when they graduate , are really ready to go and work as a nurse ,” Turner said .
“ The fact that we have a reputation in the community that our students are ready to take on a job , the managers who hire them don ’ t question their creditability , because they know the rigor they ’ ve gone through in this program ,” Stubblefield said .
As for the graduates themselves , nursing was never a career choice for them , it was always a true calling .
“ I don ’ t see myself doing anything else ,” Martinez said . “ It ’ s the satisfaction of knowing that I made somebody ’ s life better . That maybe I caught something that someone else didn ’ t see , and because of my knowledge , because of what I ’ m doing , things are getting better , I ’ m helping in some way .” For Clark , it ’ s all about her patients . “ Patients that come in on the worst day of their entire life , and then for them to come back and say , ‘ because of you guys , I ’ m standing here today ,’ that ’ s what it ’ s all about .” For Hyer , it was the only choice for her . “ I ’ m doing what I want to do . I was meant to do this .” As for the instructors , their intention is to continue providing future students with the same level of training and skills past graduates received .
“ We just hope that we can keep the same reputation going , whether it ’ s us , the instructors who follow us , new blood , or new people on the staff . Gavilan is a program that has been very successful and we hope that reputation keeps going ,” Stubblefield said .
For more information on Gavilan ’ s nursing program go to : gavilan . edu / academic / ah / index . php .
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE GAVILAN COLLEGE NURSING PROGRAM
Students in Photos : Rajinder Tut , Rayanne Martin , Selena Salazar , Sandra Montes , and Ericka Craft .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 gmhtoday . com
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