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After working in banking for nearly 20 years, Kimberly Hagerman discovered a new calling during one of the most difficult periods of her life. “My father became sick. When it was discovered he had kidney cancer, we went to Wake Forest Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for his treatment.” Watching the nurses with her father, she felt a stirring of interest in nursing.
In 2002 another event put her closer to a career in health care. Hagerman quit her job to help care for her mother-in-law, who had suffered a stroke and needed constant care. “The caring part really drew me to nursing . My mother-in-law totally depended on me. When I was taking care of her, I learned that I would love being a caring professional who assists ill people in keeping their dignity while healing.
She decided to enroll in the Virginia Appalachian Tricollege Nursing Program (VATNP) at Southwest Virginia Community College. In addition to offering a Registered Nursing (RN) program on campus as a member of VATNP, SwVCC also offers the RN program at its Grundy Plaza location, which allows Hagerman, who drives from Jolo, West Virginia, to get her classroom and clinical experience close to home. The second-year classes are now taught via the Virginia Distance Education Network (VDEN). “I had heard great things about SwVCC’s nursing program. The availability of the Grundy program meant that classes were offered closer to my home, making attending more convenient for me.”
The Grundy RN program began in the fall of 1984 and was originally located at the Buchanan County Vocational School. The program was partially funded by a Job Training Partnership Act grant. Buchanan General Hospital has also been a contributor to the program. “Since its beginning, the program has graduated over 500 students. The Virginia Appalachian Tricollege Nursing Program looks forward to the continued growth and development of this program,” said Christine Hobbs, assistant professor of nursing at SwVCC.
“I had been out of school many years before entering the nursing program. I was intimidated at first, but the group was really diverse. Once I actually started classes I didn’t feel intimidated at all. The staff in the admissions office and financial aid really helped me through the whole process of getting into the program,” said Hagerman, recounting her first year at the college.
She acknowledges that the program is not easy. “I have had to be really dedicated and serious about it. However, Mrs. Hobbs works well with students.”
Hagerman has entered her second year of nursing and is beginning her third semester of clinical rotations where she gets hands-on experience. “I love it. I feel that I am helping people at a time when they cannot care for themselves.”
Adam, her son, is graduating from high school this year and is also making plans to go into nursing. “We talked about it. As far as career choices, nursing has many opportunities.”Application Information:
The Grundy RN program is receiving applications through January 15 for the Fall 2008 semester. Admissions application to Southwest is free and available online at https://apply.vccs.edu/app/app.htm . The application to the Nursing program can be downloaded from the public forms website at http://www.sw.edu/publicforms and academic requirements are available from the VATNP website at http://www.vhcc.edu/vatnp/faq.htmInterested individuals should contact Christine Hobbs, assistant professor of nursing, at the SwVCC’s Grundy Plaza Center at 276.935.7748 or christine.hobbs@sw.edu.