STEVEN GREEN: NO. 1 NURSE

Story By ALLEN ALLNOCH

PROFILES

STEVEN GREEN

STEVEN GREEN No. 1 Nurse

Coastal Pines Student Is a SkillsUSA National Champion and a Compassionate Care Giver

Steven Green chose nursing as a profession for all the right reasons.

“It is a good career path and I love helping people,” says Green, an LPN student at the Waycross campus of Coastal Pines Technical College. “It’s a way to help people who can’t help themselves.”

Green didn’t foresee, however, that he would become a national champion for his nursing skills. That’s exactly what happened in June 2022, when he won the Nurse Assisting contest at the SkillsUSA National Championships. He qualifi ed for that event by winning the SkillsUSA State Championships in March.

SkillsUSA is a nonprofi t association that serves middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. This year both the state and national competitions were held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

“I never envisioned I would win either one of the competitions,” says Green, a 2012 graduate of Nashville’s Berrien High School who began his studies at Coastal Pines in August of 2020. “I didn’t realize I won gold until they asked me to step onto the gold winner podium. At that point I felt unstoppable. On the way out, we walked down a long hallway and at every turn there were people with pompoms cheering us on. It was an experience like no other.”

The nursing competitions were comprised of proctored exams and skills demonstrations. When Green heard his

ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY

name called as the winner, he says he “froze for a moment. I was truly shocked. I had never won anything in my life. It was a haze when I walked backstage, then onto the stage.”

Then reality set in. “Of course, I was proud because I won,” he continues. “But then I got nervous again, because I knew I had to compete at the national competition. When I got to the hotel for nationals, I was blown away by the number of competitors who were there. The nerves rushed over me once again. But after I fi nished competing, the nerves were gone.”

Green calls that experience “a life-changing trip,” but more than anything, he values the support of his family. His wife of eight years, Ashley, is also a Coastal Pines nursing student, and the couple have two sons, ages 9 and 5, and a daughter, 4.

“My wife and children are the reason I push myself as hard as I do,” Green says. “They are my biggest cheerleaders. I remember calling my wife [after the national championship

win] and hearing how proud of me she was.”

Ashley actually got involved in SkillsUSA before Steven did, at the invitation of CPTC Nurse Aide Instructor Karen Wade. Steven says he “kind of weaseled my way in there after that,” and he credits Wade with preparing them both for competition. When the couple qualifi ed for the SkillsUSA State Championships, he was convinced Ashley would place higher than him.

“We’re playfully competitive with each other,” she says “We always have fun with our grades, how we’re doing in the lab, everything. And we were actually very surprised he beat me.”

The celebration of Green’s victory didn’t end in Atlanta. A month after he returned to Waycross, Coastal Pines designated Wednesday, July 20 as “Steven Green Day.” Students, faculty, and sta were encouraged to wear – what else? – green in honor of Steven and his success.

As Green recalls,” Miss Lindy [Cisco, CPTC Student Activities Coordinator] reached out and asked if I would be on campus, because they were going to have a Steven Green day. I was so excited to have a whole day dedicated to my success. I can’t express the joy that I felt.”

Wherever he ends up working, Green clearly has the skills to succeed in his profession. Just as important, he has the compassion that sets great nurses apart from merely competent ones.

“I love helping people,” he says. “I take care of anyone in need. I enjoy talking to patients and giving them an outlet for whatever is on their mind. I like to make them feel comfortable and relaxed while being cared for. I have noticed in my short time in this fi eld that people want to be heard.”

Green is quick to credit Coastal Pines for preparing him for a career in nursing.

“My journey at CPTC has been amazing,” he says. “I could not have imagined a better school. They have an awesome LPN program. It has its di cult subjects, but it is very well-structured and the instructors are there whenever you need them. I have had so much fun in this program and I have made lifelong friends.”

Green will complete the Coastal Pines LPN program in December. Next up after that: Pursuing further education as an RN and a CRNA (Certifi ed Registered Nurse Anesthetist).

“While I am working toward that goal,” he says, “I would love to do agency nursing or travel nursing. I want to work in an ER, OR, and ICU. I look forward to getting the experience and knowledge to provide care for as many people as possible.” OL

TOP LEFT: Steven gets a high-fi ve from SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis after winning the Nurse Assisting national championship competition.

PHOTO BY LINDY CISCO

TOP RIGHT: CPTC Nurse Instructor Karen Wade was instrumental in Steven’s

SkillsUSA preparation. PHOTO BY ALLEN ALLNOCH / AHA! PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT: Amanda Morris, Coastal Pines Executive Vice President and Vice President of Academic A airs, and Lindy Cisco, Student Activities Coordinator, recognized their star nursing student during Steven Green Day on July 20,

2022. PHOTO BY NATE CASON