Health Careers Program

Transcript

It’s time to meet Cole. Cole is a recent graduate of Harper’s well-respected nursing program. Grab your stethoscope and listen in as we explore Cole’s journey from the patient’s bedside to the Offices of Congress all in the name of improving patient outcomes and care. Take it away, Cole.

– Thank you, Alex. The nursing program at Harper College expanded my horizons far beyond the bedside from becoming President of the Student Nurses Association to interning for a member of Congress. The nursing program also gave me invaluable relationships that will last a lifetime. It’s because of the program’s rigor that healthcare organizations throughout Chicagoland know the diligence and competence that nursing graduates possess. Working on the front lines of healthcare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to change my perspective on healthcare. I saw every day how government action impacted not only my job but also my patients’ lives. Coming out of Covid, clubs at Harper were struggling and nursing students no longer had an active Student Nurses Association and I wanted to change that. So by my final semester, I became president of that association leading meaningful conversations on important healthcare issues. I wanted students to see these issues from the same vantage point I had been developing that led me to take a giant leap of faith by interning for congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s district office in Joliet. There I saw how action in Washington impacted the communities I was surrounded by. That internship and the possibilities coming from it could not have been possible without my education from Harper. One of the most important lessons I learned at Harper is that learning is continuous. Nursing is practically limitless in the amount of environments you can work in, and I’m so thankful that I chose Harper to grow into my professional career. As I look to the future though, I understand that I have a mission and that mission is to inspire. I’m a strong advocate that nurses need to be represented at every level of government, local, state, and federal. And that starts with me and it started here at Harper. Back to you, Alex.

– What an inspiring story, Cole, you’ve put that nursing education to good use. Patients are so lucky to have a committed and caring professional like you at their bedside and know that your nursing education will help you, whether that’s in the hospital corridors or the halls of government. Take care.