3 minute read
STUDENT FINDS HER CALLING
STUDENT FINDS HER CALLING THANKS TO
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
By Kim Singer
Yajaira Ramirez started her journey at Bismarck State College planning to become a social worker. But after earning an Associate in Arts degree in 2019, she wasn’t sure that was the right path for her.
“That week after I graduated in May, I contacted Annie Paulson (BSC Nursing program director) and met with her to see if there was any way I could get into the nursing program. Thankfully, I had a few prerequisites done, and the process to get into the program was a lot smoother than I was imagining.”
Once in the nursing program, Ramirez had an opportunity to do a clinical rotation at the Sanford Health neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“My time at Sanford was an ‘aha!’ moment for me,” she says. “When I arrived and started building rapport with the RN I was following, it was like I was meant to be there. I did not want to leave! There are so many open doors with nursing. You can really find what you love and grow in that area.”
As North Dakota’s Polytechnic Institution, BSC develops relationships with industry leaders, such as Sanford Health. In this longstanding partnership, Sanford provides faculty to BSC and offers clinical rotations for Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Paramedic and Surgical Technology students. Sanford leaders also share their workforce needs with BSC, so the college can develop programs to meet them. One example of this is the new Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at BSC.
“Sanford's partnership with BSC helps to create highly qualified graduates that help meet the health care needs of the communities we serve,” said Wendy Kopp, Sanford vice president of Nursing and Clinical Services.
While this arrangement benefits Sanford, it’s just as valuable for BSC students like Ramirez, who discovered her true passion in Sanford’s NICU. And this hands-on, experiential approach to learning is another key component of BSC’s polytechnic designation. It gives students the training they need to better understand their industry and be prepared for jobs.
“The BSC partnership with Sanford is valuable for both organizations and the students. BSC students are able to use their skills with real patients while being supervised and mentored by experienced healthcare professionals,” says Mari Volk, dean of Current and Emerging Technologies.
Ramirez receives this training both in classroom simulations and at clinical rotations. She then uses her newly acquired skills at her current job working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at St. Gabriel’s Community in Bismarck.
“We are constantly hands-on with our learning, which is a huge benefit,” says Ramirez. “We learn in our courses, and then we go apply it in real life, whether it be at work or during simulation. Handson is so important for me. That is how I learn.”
The first college graduate in her family, Ramirez earned her LPN from BSC in July 2020 and is now pursuing an associate degree in Nursing (ADN) at BSC. She
plans to take a year off to work and then will look into finishing a bachelor of science degree in nursing.
“It is such an amazing opportunity to be able to attend BSC and pursue my nursing degree,” Ramirez says. “The program is wonderful in allowing us to work as LPNs while continuing our education to finish our ADN degree. It has helped me understand more of what I will be expecting when I am done with school as well as helping me financially while I am still in school.”
Affordability is one of the main reasons Ramirez decided to attend BSC in the first place.
“I knew I needed to attend a college that I could afford. BSC was a perfect fit. I could finish my first two years and then bridge off somewhere else.”
And although she was born in Ventura, Calif., raised in southern Utah and moved to Bowman, N.D., in high school, she enjoys living in North Dakota.
“I love the size of Bismarck and the job opportunities we have here. Bismarck is a perfect town to raise a family. My husband has a great job here, too.”
For more information about pursuing nursing at BSC, visit bismarckstate.edu/nursing
