Meet Practical Nursing Graduate
Jessica Saydie Johnson!
Jessica Saydie Johnson graduated from United Career Institute’s Practical Nursing program on June 26, 2022. Since then, she has passed her NCLEX and started working as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital. She learned about Encompass when they came to the school for an employer presentation. United Career Institute strives to create as many networking opportunities for our students as possible. One of the ways we create networking opportunities is by hosting lunch with our students and employers in the area.
Jessica loves her new job and says she’s grateful for the things she learned at United Career Institute that prepared her to enter the field. She understands what’s going on with her patients because of her education. She also said, “the hands-on learning experience of different skills has helped me feel more confident performing them at work.” United Career Institute puts students into the clinical setting as early as the first term. After just six weeks, students begin attending one of the facilities where we hold clinical courses. This allows students to get hands-on clinical experience for the entirety of the year-long program.
Hands-on learning in clinical and lab settings prepares nursing students to enter the field. Jessica said her favorite part of United Career Institute’s Practical Nursing program was clinical and lab. She says, “I am a hands-on learner. Physically practicing skills and seeing different situations was the best part.” Exposure to tasks, skills, and scenarios that occur in the field allows students to be confident when they start working.
Jessica is also thankful for the nursing instructors at United Career Institute. She said she appreciates them “making sure we really understood what nursing was all about. They laid down a solid foundation and really encouraged us to think about how each piece equates to the big picture.” She said the instructors also helped them to look at “different angles of problem-solving.” With United Career Institute’s accelerated Practical Nursing program and the extensive orientation at Encompass, Jessica is confident out in the field. We know she will accomplish great things and make a difference in the lives of her patients.
Not only did Jessica appreciate the staff at United Career Institute, but she also appreciated her fellow classmates. She said, “I miss the community of friends. It was hard not seeing everyone that I’d spent an entire year with.” Jessica and the students who graduated alongside her became family during their time at United Career Institute. They spent the year building professional and personal relationships with one another through studying, practicing labs, and experiencing clinical settings. This is one of the core values of United Career Institute. We build meaningful and trusted relationships as the foundation of our culture. Many of these students now work in the same facilities, bringing the strong bond they built in school.
When asked what advice Jessica had for anyone considering United Career Institute’s Practical Nursing program, she said it’s a fast-paced program and “the experience is well worth it in the end. Take in each and every experience and look for opportunities to learn and grow!” This is wonderful advice from Jessica, and we are all rooting for her in her future endeavors.
Does a career in nursing sound like the perfect fit for you? Contact an admissions team member at United Institute today by calling 724.515.2440 or request information here!