Our Health Depends on Them

Elizabeth A. Tucto Poma says the nursing program—especially pharmacology and psychology courses—prepared her to care for her father before his death last year. “Throughout his illness, I understood his medications and treatment plans. I’m glad I knew what he was taking, the side effects, and how to help him be comfortable,” she says. 

With just one more semester until graduation, Poma is still deciding whether to work with geriatric or pediatric patients. “When I finish at MC,” she says, “I will have learned everything in two years that nurses in four-year programs learn. I know I’ll be ready.”

For Nkechi Nzegwu, nursing is a challenging goal and a family tradition. “My mother has been a nurse for more than 40 years. Observing her dedication and work ethic in providing excellent patient care, her clinical expertise, and commitment to continuous learning, I am motivated to strive for excellence in my own nursing practice,” she says.

The 37-year-old single mother and second-semester nursing student is focused on keeping up with program demands. “You can’t fall behind. The workload is intense, and there are times when it feels overwhelming,” Nzegwu says. She sought financial aid so she could reduce her work hours in order to focus on her studies.

“Despite the challenges,” Nzegwu says, “I remain committed and focused because I know that every sacrifice and every hour of hard work will be worth it in the end. I know I can do it!” Right now, she is considering specializing in renal or cardiac care; she graduates in 2025. “I am driven by the desire to make a difference in people’s lives, to provide compassionate and competent care, and to contribute meaningfully to the healthcare profession,” she says.

As registered nurses (RN), Poma and Nzegwu can expect to earn $80,000¹a year or more working full time, based on the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics1. They will have many employment opportunities; area hospitals, surgical centers, outpatient care, and home health centers all need nurses. Maryland-based nursing data indicates a current shortage of approximately 5,000 RNs (2021), particularly inpatient and outpatient nurses. By 2035, that number is projected to increase to a shortage of 13,800 RNs. The demand is driven by population growth, especially escalating numbers of elderly.

To compete for nurse hires, some employers are offering sign-on bonuses from $5,000 to $10,000, plus offering the usual medical and retirement benefits, paid leave, and career advancement opportunities. If a nurse chooses to work on contract as a travel nurse, his or her average earnings jump to $107,000 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.

MC Nursing Program Welcomes Career Changers

Gilberto Oblepias, in his early 40s, enrolled at MC in 2017 to study nursing. The married father of two, originally from the Philippines, works as a technician at a dialysis center in Bethesda, Md. After a decade as a computer technician in Saudi Arabia, he believes a nursing career is the right choice now. 

“I like to educate patients I am working with,” Oblepias says. “Eventually, I want to combine my computer technology knowledge with my nursing experience. I think the combination of skills will qualify me to help run a medical or health care facility.”

After completing the prerequisite courses (chemistry, biology, etc.), he was admitted to the nursing program in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of heightened personal risk for those on the front lines of health care. Undaunted, Oblepias continued by taking online classes. Right now, he is focused on conquering the academic hurdle known as pharmacology. “It is really tough!” he says. “There is so much information to learn in one semester.” 

RN Lauren Blitz Geiling ’23 another career-changer, currently works at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. After completing a degree in commu-nications at a four-year institution, she fulfilled her dream of working in health care by returning to the classroom. “At MC, there is a huge emphasis on being a well-rounded nurse,” she says. “You are taught to be patient-centered, not task-centered.” Read more about Nurse Geiling.

Patient-Based Education Remains the Central Focus

Since MC established the nursing program in 1966, it has continually adapted to ensure students master current medical standards and protocols. “What never changes is the patient-based approach to teaching and practicing nursing,” says Monique Davis, associate dean of health sciences and director of nursing. “Throughout the curriculum, students learn to recognize the patient or designee as a partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care.”

Fueled by chronic nursing shortages and a reputation for excellence, the nursing program remains one of the College’s most popular majors.  “Enrollment is at a constant peak,” says Davis. “We regularly receive more than 300 applications for 128 seats. And unlike other institutions, we admit new students twice a year, in spring and fall. While we want to meet the demand, there’s only so many we can take with current resources.”

Nearing its 60th year, nursing program goals now include increasing the availability of clinical placements, boosting NCLEX pass rates (the test required for nursing graduates to successfully pass to be licensed as a registered nurse in the U.S.), securing additional funding through grants, and replacing faculty who have retired.

To date, the program has been awarded more than $7.6 million in financial support, and it now leads the Maryland Clinical Simulation Resource Consortium, which establishes MC as a centralized resource center for simulation training and laboratory facilities. “Simulation provides a safe environment for learning new skills and procedures, including prioritization and teamwork. By offering simulation training, we decrease the pressure on clinical agencies while promoting safety and enabling nursing programs to expand,” Davis says.

For students, the hands-on experience gained in simulation exercises, in classroom labs, and with actual patients in clinical practice raises their competency and their confidence. That combination translates into successful placement in the workforce.

“I say to Montgomery College: send us all the nurses that you can produce,” said Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center President Anthony Stahl, in his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the College’s new East County Education Center in April. “My chief nursing officer and our doctors say the nurses who come from Montgomery College are above the cut. They are extraordinary. From the ER to the ICU to MedSurg, their dedication is extraordinary and we are grateful,” Stahl said.

Locally, Adventist HealthCare is partnering with Montgomery College to provide opportunities for nursing students (e.g., mentoring, internships, and job shadowing) in a new agreement that also creates new scholarships (read more about the partnership). The partnership benefits the health care system by helping build the pipeline of talent that it needs, while the community benefits with the influx of qualified nurses caring for patients.

 “We look forward to an even deeper relationship with the College as we continue to truly hire the incredible professionals that [MC is] producing,” 
said Stahl. 

 

¹ The median annual wage for registered nurses was $81,220 in May 2022. Job Outlooknew window: Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 193,100 openings for registered nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.