Middlesex Community College: Army Veteran Prepares To Graduate From Middlesex CC As A Nurse

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

5/26/2021

Studying and completing her clinical experiences throughout the pandemic, Nicole Smay is graduating from Middlesex Community College to become a nurse. A mother of four and Army Combat Veteran, Smay has enjoyed working with and learning from her classmates. During the 2021 Middlesex Virtual Commencement Ceremony, she will be one of two student speakers representing her graduating class.

“My hope is that I might inspire others to keep pushing to reach their goals, but to accomplish this through love,” she said. “It’s been a tough year for a lot of different reasons and I am focusing my speech on leading with love. Leading your personal life, a shift at your job, your family, your neighbors, everything with love. Our world needs that now.”

At Middlesex, Smay’s supportive classmates and professors shared an all-in-this-together mentality that reminds her of what she experienced during her time in the military. The key to their collective success Smay said, is “looking out for your buddy.”

“Nursing school is very much like this,” she said. “We – the students – are constantly checking each other to make sure we're finishing assignments or that we're going to the correct place for clinical or lab. I'm so proud of my fellow classmates and that we've made it this far. The cohesion we have is impressive, and we come from all sorts of backgrounds and are all different ages.”

When researching Nursing programs, Smay was looking to attend a college that was affordable and close to her Tewksbury home. In addition to a supportive environment, Middlesex best fit her needs with a high National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate, rolling admission, and acceptance of students not just based on GPA.

What she found from Middlesex, was an education that exceeded that of her experience at a division one university in 2003. It starts with her professors. Calling them some of the most “selfless” people she knows – along with her fellow soldiers – she believes each professor has an obvious passion for the subject they teach.

“The standards seem higher at MCC,” she said. “I’ve loved all my classes and professors. The professors have and continue to be our largest support system. We can feel that they want us to succeed, and they demonstrate it with their tireless willingness to meet and discuss academics and at times, personal life issues.”

Another highlight of MCC’s Nursing program has been the clinicals. In addition to having a variety of experiences throughout their time in the program, Smay and her classmates were at a clinical site by the third week of their first semester.

Even during the pandemic, Middlesex was able to get her class back into in-person clinicals after just a few weeks. Because of this – and the connections Middlesex has to the communities of Bedford and Lowell – Smay has had the chance to administer vaccines at Lowell General Hospital and swab for COVID-19 tests at MCC’s Bedford campus.

“I am so proud of our program for being a part of this,” she said. “Nursing students need hands-on clinicals to learn and be effective nurse leaders upon graduation. Our clinical rotations are wonderful learning experiences and as we progress through the program, I can see in myself and in my classmates the improvements in our care.”

From sitting with patients who cannot have anyone in the room with them, to completing her mental health rotation at the VA, Smay has been moved by her clinical experiences. As a Veteran herself, it was important to see the types of help that were available to her if she needed it. She also appreciated being part of an experience to treat “my fellow brothers and sisters in arms.”

Middlesex has also provided Nursing students with high-quality online classes and access to a state-of-the-art simulation lab on campus. Through the simulated experience, Smay was able to react and respond as if a patient was experiencing a cardiac crisis, which her was “as real-world as we can get, before we’re nurses and potentially caring for someone in a critical care scenario.”

All of these experiences – in the classroom and out – have contributed to her feeling prepared to take the NCLEX and start her career. Smay is currently working as a Rehab Nursing Technician at Encompass Health in Woburn – where she plans to apply as a part-time nurse after graduating from Middlesex in May 2021. She also wants to volunteer as a Parish Nurse within the Catholic community. Both opportunities she found from doing her clinicals at Middlesex.

“Without MCC, I wouldn't have known that this place existed and wouldn't have had the professors to back me up in obtaining this position,” she said. “I had a wonderful clinical experience with Community Health as well, and my outgoing evaluation included the professor stating to contact her once I get in that position because she has such love for that aspect of nursing.”

While her professors have high standards for the students – and the program has been challenging – Smay also understands that all of the hard work and dedication she has put in is because she is going to be responsible for someone else’s life. As Middlesex has prepared her to be “very well-versed as a novice nurse,” Smay also knows that there is deeper meaning to the profession.

“MCC has shown me that nursing is more than administering medications or documenting vital signs – it's compassion,” she said. “Nursing is more than a career or profession – it is a calling.”

MCC’s Nursing & Allied Health Division prepares students to go into exciting and rewarding careers, as well as to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Students learn the knowledge and skills they need to help people, including practical and clinical hands-on experiences.

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/healthcareersdiv/ for more information about the Nursing, Dental Programs, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Assisting, Medical Lab Technician and Radiologic Technology programs at Middlesex.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.