OADNOADNMay 9, 2024
“While finishing my MSN, I was approached by a patient’s family
member who said she thought I would be a great educator. Honestly, I had never considered teaching, but I was ready for a challenge. After graduating, I was offered a teaching position at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (yep, my alma mater). Five years passed and I moved into the nursing program director position. From the time I started in academia, I knew I wanted the CNE designation. For me, the CNE symbolizes being the best of the best in nursing education. Unfortunately, I found it cost-prohibitive and put that goal on the back burner. Then the opportunity to apply for the Castlebranch Professional Development Scholarship came, and I was so thrilled to be a recipient!! I used the scholarship to purchase various study materials and to pay for the exam. I found the exam to very rigorous and thorough, more so than I predicted.
Now that I can use the CNE designation, it speaks volumes for what can be accomplished no matter your starting point in nursing. My background and upbringing were a barrier to being successful, but the ADN opportunity at my community college paved the way. I still live in my small rural community and seek out opportunities to tell my story to those who may face similar circumstances: no money, poor support systems, and unfair labels. WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL no matter where we start. What matters is where we finish and how we help the next ones in line behind us.”
Vandy Amason is the Nursing Program Director at Low Country Technical College in Beaufort, South Carolina.