College Perianesthesia Nursing grad juggles family and school, puts her skills to work on the frontline
Continuing Studies Alumna Kayley Herman
For Kayley Herman, the last couple of years have been busy ones as she navigated going back to school at Okanagan College for advanced perianesthesia (PAR) training and welcoming a new baby.
Herman, who worked as a PAR nurse in Saskatchewan before moving to B.C., needed to gain proper certification for PAR work in the province. She applied for and received educational funding through Interior Health to complete that training at OC.
“My journey with the training was unique because I completed the theory portion of the course while I was pregnant and on maternity leave,” says Herman. “After maternity leave, I was able to complete the practicum portion of the course. Completing the program in its entirety has been rewarding for me.”
The Perianesthesia Nursing Certificate program is one of two nursing programs offered by Continuing Studies at Okanagan College that provides additional training to practicing registered nurses looking to advance their careers.
The PAR program delivers a theory component in an online, self-paced format. The practicum portion generally takes place in the hospital where students are employed.
With the practicum portion of her PAR training complete, Herman is now working in the operating room at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. “I’m excited to be dually trained in both the operating room and perianesthesia.”
“My advice to anyone considering the program is to take the leap and do the course! My instructor was very supportive and understanding throughout the program. It is a challenge managing the workload of the course with working full time, but it is doable.”
Karen Yakashiro teaches the PAR program at OC. “Juggling family and work schedules with education can be a challenge. Getting to know students like Kayley as they work to find balance and achieve their educational goals is one of the aspects of my role that is most rewarding,” says Yakashiro.
“Kayley’s hard work has paid off, and I’m proud of her efforts, as well as all of the other OC students and alumni who are making a difference and working on the frontlines of healthcare right now.”
To assist those looking to boost their skills or make a career change this fall, Okanagan College has unveiled its fall array of Continuing Studies courses, many of which will be delivered online.
The brochure is available to read online or download at www.okanagan.bc.ca/cs.
The array of courses includes offerings in business, health, education, technology, cannabis, wine and food and other in-demand fields.
The College is also serving up online info sessions to help students get answers to their questions, learn more about their programs of interest and what to expect about learning online this fall. The next session is coming up on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. highlighting OC’s Advanced GIS program. Students can sign up to attend, stay tuned for upcoming sessions and view recordings of past sessions at www.okanagan.bc.ca/infosessions.
Tags: Continuing Studies, Student
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