When Danielle Gogert became a mom, she knew she wanted a solid career that would set her up for success and job security鈥攁nd becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) would offer that. At the time, she could not yet afford a four-year university program on a CNA salary, and so she decided to first enroll in the Practical Nursing (PN) program at 黑料不打烊 to prepare her for LPN.
鈥淚 wanted to get my schooling done quickly, and I knew that getting my Practical Nursing certificate first would mean an increase in pay,鈥� Danielle explains. 鈥淢y plan was then to go back to school and get my RN while working as an LPN part time.鈥�
Danielle received her Practical Nursing certificate from 黑料不打烊 and worked as an LPN for five years before getting her RN. She completed the Nursing Bridge program at 黑料不打烊 in August of 2019, and did her clinical work at Vibra hospital in Boise, Idaho. 聽 Danielle is now a Nursing Bridge graduate鈥攚ith almost a year of experience working as an RN. The Practical Nursing certificate and the Nursing Bridge degree programs can each be completed in as few as 12 months.
鈥淚 believe that you get out what you put into something,鈥� Danielle says. 鈥淐arrington is a fast-paced program. They give you everything you need to succeed as a nurse, but it鈥檚 ultimately up to you to use that education to study and succeed.鈥�
The fast pace of school carried over to her first job as an RN, too鈥攁nd that suited her well. 聽 鈥淲hen I graduated from (RN) school and passed my National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), I immediately got a job in outpatient surgery with an excellent wage,鈥� Danielle says. 鈥淚’m a nurse who likes organized chaos, so outpatient surgery was the spot. It was fast paced but I always knew what to expect.鈥� 聽 Danielle has a great schedule鈥擬onday through Thursday, with no working holidays. Because she has her compact license, which allows her to practice nursing in multiple states, she recently moved to Arkansas and currently works as a Case Manager in Hospice; her years of LPN and RN experience helped her land a job as a Case Manager. 聽 The COVID-19 pandemic has presented one of the biggest challenges for Danielle as a hospice nurse, during a time when most nursing facilities are not allowing outside guests to visit and only allowing essential hospice workers in.
鈥淭he hardest thing for me is watching my patients鈥� loved ones communicate with them through the glass of their bedroom. Hospice is a wonderful resource that allows patients to die comfortably and peacefully. I often say I work in heaven鈥檚 waiting room. I get to work with the most fragile of patients and COVID-19 has really put a kink in allowing families to see their loved ones in their last months of life, and that has been the hardest for me to sit and watch.鈥�
