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Luis Vaca, a student in the Bilingual Nursing Fellowship Program, says the new, simulated patient (Sim Man) greatly enhances his learning. “At this stage of nursing (first semester) it’s especially great to have it. We can practice getting a pulse, blood pressure, and even injections,” he says.
Perhaps no one wants to be a registered nurse more than Vaca, who is 25 and resides in Phoenix.
Vaca was hospitalized with leukemia at age 16 and found peace and comfort among the nurses who provided his care. “I decided to become a nurse to return the same kind of care to others,” he says.
He enrolled in the BNFP of South Mountain and GateWay community colleges in Spring 2006. He is completing two science courses at SMCC and is also a first-semester nursing student at GateWay.
The nurses at the University of San Francisco hospital “didn’t just focus on patient care but showed support in a number of ways,” Vaca notes. “They encouraged me to continue my treatment and told me many stories about former leukemia patients who are now older and in great health.” After becoming a Registered Nurse within two to three more years, Vaca plans to attend ASU to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He wants to specialize in pediatric oncology.
In remission for the past four years, Vaca says, “One more year until the ‘big five’ (years have passed –considered the “all clear” timeline among doctors). “I’m not worried. I feel great and have my whole life ahead of me.”
He was born in Mexico, and moved with his family to Modesto, Ca., 11 years ago. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Vaca says, “It’s good to help people in their own language. If a person speaks only Spanish, I can help them understand the procedures they are going through.”
He currently does “clinicals” in a long-term-care facility in Glendale, where many elderly patients reside. “Right now, I can help them with daily activities...things they can’t do for themselves. It’s really rewarding and they appreciate it.”