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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