The Next Generation of Nurses

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WRITERS: Leigh Neely and James Combs  PHOTOS: Fred Lopez

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What do you get if you have late-night study sessions, hands-on experience in medical simulation labs, and a group of people who act more as a team than individuals?

A group of hard-working students with one goal: becoming a nurse.

“We’re a tight-knit group of friends who go above and beyond to help each other,” said Tricia Sacco, a nursing student at Lake-Sumter Community College’s Clermont campus.

Healthy Living recently visited nursing students at Lake Tech, as well as Lake-Sumter State College’s Leesburg and Clermont campuses. Although their workload is demanding, each student nurse is gaining valuable knowledge and experience that will help them thrive in their careers.

Most importantly, they possess one trait that is instrumental in their future work—big hearts. That’s extremely important because for patients undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from a major operation, or visiting a physician’s office, a caring nurse can make all the difference.

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LAKE TECH

[mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Angelina McCoy
Age: 32
Hometown: Bushnell
What inspired you to go into nursing? I’m a very compassionate person who loves helping people. Therefore, nursing is the perfect career for me because there’s no better way to help people than when they need you most.
Plans after graduation: I want to become a registered nurse and plan on working with the geriatric population or in wound care. I currently work at a family physician practice that treats the geriatric population and love it.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col][mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Morgan Nelson
Age: 25
Hometown: Umatilla
What inspired you to go into nursing? I currently work as a receptionist for a local physician. The physician’s wife trained me to do medical assisting and before leaving the practice she encouraged me to go into nursing.
Plans after graduation: I hope to continue working at the practice where I am now. I already do some of the nursing work anyway, and the doctor has treated me like a daughter.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Susy Montalvo
Age: 23
Hometown: Mount Dora
What inspired you to get into nursing? My older sister went through this program four years ago, and I have another sister attending the University of Central Florida’s registered nursing program. Nursing is also very intriguing to me because I will have an opportunity to teach people to be healthier.
Plans after graduation: I haven’t committed to anything, but I’m leaning toward becoming either a pediatrics or OB-GYN nurse. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Chiquita Wilson
Age: 25
Hometown: Pensacola
What inspired you to get into nursing? I remember when my mom went through nursing school. She would come home all excited and want to take my blood pressure and listen to my heart. It seemed exciting so I became a certified nursing assistant and have worked at Florida Hospital Waterman for three years. I have fallen in love with the profession.
Plans after graduation: My ultimate goal is to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist because anesthesiology is such an important part of a successful surgery. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Luis Contreras
Age: 22
Hometown: Mascotte
What inspired you to go into nursing? When I was in seventh grade I took a career choice test and nursing came up as one of the careers I should pursue. I actually became a certified nursing assistant when I attended South Lake High School and have worked at a nursing home for four years. I’d rather be wiping butts than flipping burgers!
Plans after graduation: I want to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. I feel I’m most in my comfort zone when I work with children. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″]

L-SSC SOUTH LAKE

[mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Avery Brodus
Age: 40
Hometown: Clermont
What inspired you to go into nursing? Back in 2009, I took a physiology class and my professor encouraged me to go into nursing because I did so well on the test. I’m glad I listened to him because I am thoroughly enjoying nursing school.
Plans after graduation: I hope to get a job at South Lake Hospital and be an operating room or critical care nurse. I want to be in a unit where I can do lots of assessing.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col][mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Adeline Antwi
Age: 24
Hometown: Ghana, West Africa
What inspired you to go into nursing? I come from West Africa and I’ve seen people die from diseases that could have been cured in other countries. I want to make a positive difference in the healthcare field and I’m ready for a challenge.
Plans after graduation: Pediatrics is where my heart is because I love children. I also hope to continue my education and earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Traci Hemphill
Age: 46
Hometown: Ocoee
What inspired you to go into nursing? When I was a customer service technician in another job, a customer came into the office and suffered a seizure. I held her head to prevent injury because I was afraid her head would hit the edge of a table. I also hope to encourage, educate, and have a positive influence on my patients.
Plans after graduation: I hope to pursue a master’s degree and become a nurse educator at a hospital. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Tricia Sacco
Age: 34
Hometown: Orlando
What inspired you to go into nursing? I love learning, and the nursing field is constantly evolving to provide the best care possible to patients. I also love that nurses are constantly being tasked with greater responsibilities in the world of health care.
Plans after graduation: I hope to work at South Lake Hospital so I can be part of this wonderful community and impact it in a positive way. My top three choices are to be a nurse in pediatrics, the emergency room, or intensive care unit. [/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″]

L-SSC LEESBURG

[mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Jessica Saunders
Age: 26
What inspired you to go into nursing? I was a patient, and I had a not-so-good experience with a nurse. The next nurse I had was wonderful, and she turned the whole experience around. I hope to be like her.
Plans following graduation: Immediately after graduation I’m going to transfer to the University of Central Florida, and I hope to be employed in the Intermediate Care Unit at LRMC.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col][mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Kimberly Ball
Age: 21
Hometown: Sorrento
What inspired you to go into nursing: My mom inspired me. She was sick with cancer, and I cared for her, and that lead me into this.
Plans after graduation: After graduation I want to work on the obstetrics or pediatrics floors and get my BSN and masters so I can teach.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Melissa Darrin
Age: 32
What inspired you to go into nursing: My family inspired me. I’ve been a CNA for 10 years, and I really enjoy taking care of people so I decided to go back to school and get my nursing degree.
Plans following graduation: I want to work as an ICU nurse in a local hospital.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Roscel Pantalla
Age: 24
Hometown: Born in the Philippines, lives in Leesburg
What inspired you to go into nursing: My family. My mother and my brothers are nurses. I see their compassion, and that they are really enjoying the field. It was either that or become a cop like my dad.
Plans after graduation: I want to get my BSN and become an ICU nurse.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col] [mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″] [mks_col] [mks_one_third][/mks_one_third] [mks_two_thirds]Name: Tiffany Barber
Age: 23
Hometown: from the Philippines, Tavares
What inspired you to go into nursing: I was inspired because my mom passed from epilepsy. I wasn’t able to help her, so I wanted to learn how to save lives. My mom wanted to be a nurse too, so I feel like I’m fulfilling one of her dreams for her.
Plans for the future: I’m going to the University of Central Florida to get a bachelor’s degree. I will take a break and go back to become a nurse practitioner. I eventually want to own my own assisted living.[/mks_two_thirds] [/mks_col][mks_separator style=”double” height=”8″]