In an email interview with Teagan Chiovitti, she spoke about the nursing program at Southern Vermont College (SVC). Teagan is from Surry, New Hampshire, which is located outside of Keene, New Hampshire. She is a sophomore in the program and will graduate in May 2017. She applied to SVC because she wanted a learning environment that had smaller classroom settings and more one-on-one time as opposed to lecture halls. There are only twelve people in Teagan’s class.
In the email interview, Teagan said, “I’ve known I wanted to go into nursing since I was in elementary school and there hasn’t been a doubt in my mind since because i know it’s my calling, as silly as that may sound. I also come from a family with three generations of nurses before me.
“My schedule is very busy between class, clinicals, and work. We have one nursing class that meets twice a week from 8:10am and then a second nursing class that meets once a week.. Clinicals are on Wednesdays or Friday’s from 6am to 2pm, so I’m up at 6am or earlier every day of the week. The other two classes are prerequisites such as stats or anatomy, and a humanities credit for the last class.”
“I think what I like best about clinical is the satisfaction of helping someone. And also clinicals remind us what we really got into nursing for, because we like helping people. And sometimes with all the tests, studying, and reading you have to do for the nursing courses it can be hard to see the end goal. What I like best about the classroom time is my instructors. I have wonderful nursing teachers who are so intelligent and kind. They are always willing to answer any and all questions I or anybody else has about the material. [All] of the teachers want us to succeed, so if I need help they are there in their office or the simulation lab to give me that extra one on one time that I may not otherwise get in a larger school.”
The program has given Teagan confidence in herself. She was shy before the program. Through clinicals and the help of her instructors they have given her the confidence to get out there and show that she knows the material that is taught. She can now practice it well in a clinical setting and is capable of being an excellent nurse. After graduation, Teagan doesn’t know where she will be employed. She may locate to a different area or be a traveling nurse.