From Mailroom To Bedside

Like many students who begin college right after high school, Nic Van Bergen had no clear goals and little motivation. After dropping out, he got a job at Hennepin County Medical Center (www.hcmc.org), working first in the supply room and later in the mailroom.

Van Bergen tried going back to school, but he says, "I didn't have a plan." Then he learned about "Paving the Way," a program for HCMC employees who want to go to nursing school.

Dual-Purpose Program

In creating the program, the hospital had a dual purpose: to meet the growing need for nurses with a four-year degree and, at the same time, to help employees who might not be able to attend school without additional assistance and support.

Applicants are carefully screened and interviewed by a selection panel. Once accepted, they enroll in the associate degree program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (www.minneapolis.edu). After completing an A.S. in Nursing degree and passing the nursing board exam, participants can then complete a B.S. in Nursing at Metropolitan State University (www.metrostate.edu).

"I had thought about becoming a nurse, but I wasn't sure that I was willing to commit to school and a nursing career," Van Bergen says. But he applied to Paving the Way and was accepted.

Meeting The Challenge

Van Bergen completed an associate degree, passed the board exam and is now a staff nurse in the surgical-trauma-neurological unit. He is in the process of enrolling at Metropolitan State.

"I like knowing that I'm making a positive difference in the patients' lives," Van Bergen says. In addition, he's happy to be in a profession that offers so many different career possibilities: "Once you have a four-year degree, it's a wide-open field."

He encourages people to take advantage of educational opportunities offered by their employer. "If you're willing to commit yourself, you can meet the challenge," he says.

Nancy Giguere is a freelance writer from St. Paul who has written about healthcare since 1995.