Thanks to a partnership with American Career College (ACC)and West Coast University (WCU), Community Hospital of Huntington Park can boast about four registered nurses who recently completed their bachelor of science degrees in nursing (BSN).
The program was sponsored by ACC and taught by WCU at no cost to the student nurses.
A streamlined curriculum and flexible schedules are key features of the program designed for busy working nurses.
The graduates are: Alejandro Acevedo, RN, nursing supervisor; Maria Pedro Mateo, RN, med-surg-telemetry; Olga Herrera, RN, pre-operative/PACU; and Michael Paredes, RN, med-surg-telemetry.
“I am grateful to Community Hospital of Huntington Park for giving us the chance to earn our bachelor’s degrees,” Acevedo said. “Although it was challenging, I am really happy that I was able to finish the program. The bachelor’s degree program at WCU has given me the skills that I need to advance as a leader at work. I’m also grateful to my family and coworkers who helped me during the program.”
Mateo, who joined the Huntington Park hospital staff in 2014, described the opportunity as an “incredible journey” that she found “transformative.”
She said, “It was my first experience with an online program, and I initially felt apprehensive about the challenge. The online format offered a level of flexibility that allowed me to maintain my full-time job, be a dedicated full-time student, and fulfill my role as a full-time mom. This balance wasn’t easy, but it was immensely rewarding.”
She added, “I now carry a profound sense of accomplishment, not only as a nurse, but also as a Latina and a first-generation graduate. This achievement has not only enriched my professional life, providing me with a higher level of expertise and new career opportunities, but also it has filled me with pride in my cultural heritage and the example I’ve set for others.”
Chief Nursing Officer Colleen Bauer expressed her pride in the four nurses.
“Our hospital encourages all nurses to dedicate time for higher learning,” she said. “Whether that is LVN to RN, RN to BSN, BSN to MSN or NP, it is a huge accomplishment to achieve another level of education. We are proud of all of our nurses who are furthering their education and career.”
Bauer added that the hospital has partnered again with ACC and WCU to start a new BSN program on Jan. 8, 2024. Community Hospital of Huntington Park will have two nurses participating in the new year: Maria Eliza Parades, CN, emergency department, and Mechizedek Viado, RN, med-surg-telemetry.
11.1.2023