Nursing Student Profiles
Allie Maxwell
COCC Nursing Student
I grew up in Central Oregon and graduated high school in 2006. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I fell into medicine with the encouragement of an amazing woman and friend when I went back to school and obtained my EMT-Basic. I was extremely fortunate to be hired by a clinic as a medical assistant. After two years I tested for my NCMA. I have been working as a Certified Medical Assistant now for 16 years. I earned my bachelor’s degree in cyber security at the end of 2019. At this time, I was also diagnosed with melanoma. The pandemic and my new diagnosis revived my passion for health care. I wanted to help care for others through the most pivotal and terrifying times in their lives like I had been cared for.
The COCC Nursing program allowed me to stay close to home. I have twin girls in middle school, and my mother, father, sister and nephews are also in Central Oregon. Family means everything to me, and moving was not an option. I had planned to apply every year until I was accepted. Shockingly I was accepted on my first year applying. I could not have been happier. National accreditation was important because when my children are older, I look forward to taking my skills on the road. I would love to be a traveling nurse or maybe move to another state.
I entered the Nursing program at a very difficult period in my life. I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate the instructors and staff for providing resources and dedicating their time to ensure my success. The instructors have such a diverse background coming from different specialties. Sharing their knowledge and personal experience is immensely helpful. What I love and was not expecting from the program is the sense of camaraderie. Not one day goes by that I do not feel supported by my fellow classmates. I know once I graduate, I will keep in contact with several.
My dream nursing job would be to work in the NICU. This department is extremely sought after. Thankfully, the alternative clinical experience days opened my eyes to several other areas of nursing that I am interested in. Eventually I plan to combine my IT degree with my RN to work as a nurse analyst. The magic of nursing is that there are so many interesting career paths. I am not sure where I will end up, but I do know I will love wherever I land.
Carinna Christensen
COCC Nursing Student
Prior to joining the COCC Nursing program, I worked in the climbing industry as a route-setter. In this role I managed a team of rock climbers to establish routes in an indoor climbing gym for all skill levels. While this unique role was both enjoyable and highly creative, I found myself desiring more: a career that allowed me to make a meaningful impact in my community. I had always been interested in health care, so I began working in various roles throughout the industry. From bilingual interpreter to medical assistant, dental assistant, phlebotomist and eventually a technical aide in radiology; each experience solidified my decision to pursue nursing.
As a child I spent several months at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and the nurses made an incredible impact on my experience. Sometimes I feel that I unknowingly chose to be a nurse then.
In perhaps one of the most unique ways, I was able to observe the impact that nurses had on patients from all backgrounds. And in the most difficult situations, I watched nurses act with care and grace. If I can help care for others the way my family and I were cared for, it would be an honor. This is what motivated me most to be a nurse but also what made me take my time to begin the academic journey, as I knew I wanted to be ready to give it my all.
What I have found most valuable about the COCC Nursing program is both the deep support from the faculty and the diverse clinical opportunities it provides. These clinical experiences have opened my eyes at the various avenues available for nurses. I have also found the program’s vigorous curriculum, although challenging, to be really rewarding. The high standards of this program have steadily increased my confidence and skills around nursing and health care settings.
Ultimately, my goal is to become a neonatal nurse practitioner. Throughout my work and lived experiences, I have found that working with pediatric populations has been my favorite. This demographic is filled with unique experiences, and I would love nothing more than to dedicate my career to them. While I understand it is a long road to achieve this, it is one I am really excited about. I believe the education I am receiving is equipping me well to succeed in this endeavor, which I am grateful for.
Jordan Hartman
COCC Nursing Student
I’ve been on the path toward nursing for quite some time. I grew up in a small town in Washington state, attending the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma where I studied exercise physiology and biomechanics. Initially, I planned to pursue occupational and physical therapy, but quickly recognized a desire to be more involved in the patient process in the acute care setting. I had become an EMT and worked for a private ambulance company prior moving to Bend in 2020, and once here I used my EMT license to work in a number of primary and urgent care settings where I refined my medical skills and knowledge, leaving me hungry for more. Nursing seemed to be the next logical step! I began working as a technician in the St. Charles Emergency Department before starting COCC’s Nursing program in the fall of 2023.
Nursing as a career has a lot of attractive qualities. Beyond the hard skills and medical knowledge nurses have (which carry added weight for me as a backcountry athlete), I’ve always been attracted to the lateral mobility of nursing, as well as ample opportunity for advancement while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I love the idea of travel nursing, getting to experience myriad settings and specialties, hopefully staving off any sense of boredom or burnout and allowing me to continually build upon my skillset in the field.
I think the most valuable part of COCC’s Nursing program is the emphasis on clinical exposure. While most nursing programs make their students wait for such experience, COCC students get to work hands-on with patients in the hospital setting from the very first term of the program. COCC’s clinical emphasis puts students in a variety of in-hospital specialties, as well as giving students exposure to a number of non-hospital nursing professions.
Ultimately, I hope to work in the emergency setting as a nurse. I’m attracted to the pace, variability and higher acuity of work within the emergency department. I recognize the responsibility while appreciating the specific skills and growth required to work with people in need on their worst days. I’m attracted not only to the excitement the ED provides, but also to the applicability of nursing skills gained in this setting to the outside world.