Excellent 护理 Care Sparks Interest in Career

Amie Jabang immigrated to the United States from the West African country of Gambia in 2005. 后不久, she started a family with her husb和 和 was amazed by the care she received from nurses throughout her four pregnancies. Amie noticed how compassionate they were to help ease her fear 和 anxiety through the language barrier. 

After starting her family, Amie knew she wanted to be a caregiver. She began by taking CNA classes at a local college in 麦迪逊, 威斯康辛州 和 got a job caring for people with mental health conditions. Several years later, Amie started looking for a nursing program that would fit her needs while still working full time. 

“Because English is my fifth language, I knew I’d need help getting through the program,” Amie said. “When I found out that Herzing offered small class sizes 和 one-on-one appointments with faculty 和 student mentors, I was very impressed. Herzing was exactly what I was looking for!”

Amie enrolled in the associate nursing degree program at Herzing’s 麦迪逊 campus in 2016. 在学校的时候, she completed one of her 临床 at a local hospital in 麦迪逊 和 was later hired to work there as a CNA while she finished her degree. 

在她 临床, Amie realized she liked the fast pace of working in a hospital 和 the wide array of patients 和 conditions she treated in the surgical unit.   

“Being exposed to a variety of patient populations 和 conditions helped me develop many nursing skills. It made me realize I wanted to work in an environment where I would continue seeing diversity in my day-to-day work,”她说。. 

In 2018, Amie finished her associate degree, passed the NCLEX 和 was hired as a registered nurse (RN) at the hospital. She also enrolled in Herzing’s RN转BSN program 和 accepted a new RN position to work in the rehabilitation unit in 麦迪逊. 

While nursing school was challenging, Amie credits her peers 和 instructors for supporting her through it. She made weekly appointments to review writing 和 other assignments with her instructors, who never hesitated to accommodate her.  

“The small class sizes made a huge difference in allowing all of us to bond,”她说。. “I felt a sense of belonging among a group of very diverse students. We all became friends, 和 even now, several of the nurses at my job are Herzing graduates.”

After completing her BSN in 2020, Amie received a pay increase from the hospital where she works. She also started working part-time as an educator, teaching staff to become CNAs. 

Looking ahead, Amie wants to take on greater responsibility for patient care. She plans to enroll in a Master of Science in 护理 (MSN) program at Herzing 和 considering becoming a nurse practitioner or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.