Student Experience: Michelle delaPaz, LVN

“I was always interested in nursing, but didn’t think I could do it — I didn’t have very good grades in high school. But both of my in-laws are family practitioners, and my mother-in-law really encouraged me to try to get into a nursing program. 

“I was accepted into the Vocational Nursing program, which was a miracle to me. That first semester, I had an excellent teacher, Steve Kirk, for my anatomy and physiology classes, and after I got A's in both classes, I was even more encouraged to keep going. 

“All of the instructors were so positive and understanding and would do whatever they could to help you succeed in the real world. 

“Our teachers went to bat for the vocational nurses and actually over-prepared us for the workplace. One example of this is care plans, something most LVN’s don't handle, but we were taught not only how to construct a care plan but the theory behind it and a thorough understanding of the process. This, in turn, helped me to multi-task and also have better knowledge of patient care.” 

Michelle delaPaz earned a Vocational Nursing certificate and worked as an LVN in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic before taking time off to raise two daughters. She plans to return to nursing once her children start school.

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