Patient interaction was a big reason cited for why this panel of nurses chose their profession.

“Nursing school is intense. You’re in the library every weekend for four years. It’s not going to be easy, but you’re going to come out of it with a high paying job and so many options. Nurses are calling the shots in the ICU and saving people’s lives,” Engel Monsanto, a Cardiothorasics Nurse told a group of students at The High School for Health Professions and Human Services (HPHS) during Career Exploration Week.

CDI is dedicated to exposing our students to expanded options for life after high school, and last week our staff hosted a nursing career panel at HPHS. Registered nurses from NYU Langone and The National Association of Hispanic Nurses spoke to students about nursing school, their experiences in the field and the many opportunities available in the vast field of nursing.

“In college, I was studying psychology before I decided to switch over to nursing school,” Samantha Hernandez, a 2009 HPHS alumni said. She spoke about the multitude of options that students have when becoming a registered nurse – from nurse practitioner, to clinical nurse and even nurse researcher. “The field is always growing,” said Carolina Taormina, an ER nurse. “Nurses are starting to become researchers because we’re working so directly with the human body and seeing problems. Now we’re figuring out what the solutions are.”

Panelists also talked with students about the educational aspect. Mr. Monsanto advised students interested in pursuing nursing to take advantage of the programs available to them now so they can get a head start in the field. Monsanto, 23, who last year graduated from NYU School of Nursing, shared his story about coming from a poor upbringing where he never envisioned he’d go to NYU, let alone for nursing. “Because of my financial situation, I ended up getting a full scholarship and graduated from NYU debt free.”

Students were engaged, asking questions ranging from finding the right profession to day-to-day life in college and the workload that comes with it. The three panelists couldn’t stress enough the importance of studying hard! “Nursing can be so many different things – you make it what you want it to be. You make the nurse.”

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