Palomar College nursing program’s goal is to prepare competent entry level nurses. Their philosophy is written as “ ….Each person has the ability to seek personal meaning for their lives, manage their own care, adapt to change and strive to meet their optimal level of functioning.

This extraordinary program leads many students into successful careers they have dreamed of and worked hard for. The nursing program began to take a decline in the educational experiences it was providing for these upcoming medical heroes.

A current student in the nursing program, Kamila Mamashanova works through these difficult times by keeping to her inspirations. Her desire to become a nurse began in 2018, when she gained her CNA licenses and began working as a nursing assistant. Mamashanova continues to maintain her dream to be in the medical field, and what drove her was having an extensive health history with her family.

Mamashanova says, “I saw the difference in how a licensed nurse interacts with the patient, rather than a nursing assistance, which is helping side by side with those in need, which inspired me to become a nursing assistant.”

Her motivation comes from a desire to understand chronic diseases and help those who are in need. Influenced by her grandfather, whom had passed away due to heart disease, her grandmother also struggled with a history of chronic strokes. Through her experiences as a student in the nursing program, we learn the stressful and at times very upsetting process, while figuring out the safest way to learn during the pandemic.

Safety modifications switched classes to online lectures, resulting in students missing crucial, clinical experiences and forcing them to participate in online simulations, which eventually had been shut down. The program’s education train was thrown off the tracks, while Covid-19 had forced these student’s learning pace to slow down, as protocols sent students into learning at home. Restrictions and guidelines pushed back help modules in order to accommodate online learning.

Mamashanova shares her empathy of graduation being pushed back, education becoming less educational and the relatable topic of online learning difficulties. She continues to work hard toward her goals. With the support of her amazing professors that are there for all their needs and the non judgmental community of peers, working side by side with each other, to accomplish this journey together.

When I asked her outlook on the nursing program, after the challenges and hardships of working through COVID-19, it came as a difficult question to answer. She says, “it is a great program, although it was difficult at times.”

We learn in depth, the psychological challenges of being a student in the nursing program. She continues to explain the difficult courses, along with the hardship of having such little support outside of the department, especially in such difficult circumstances, due to the pandemic. “Nursing school is like nothing else, the exams are like no other exams you have taken,” said Mamashanova.

Despite all the struggles, the nursing program stands together through their instructors, peers and most importantly, their ambition to become a medical hero.