Nursing Scholarship Awarded

Congratulations to Norma Rojas, a recipient of the spring 2007 chooseNursing.com scholarship award

As Norma Rojas approaches the completion of her nursing program and prepares for graduation in December 2007 from Glendale Community College, Glendale, California, she does so with pride.

“I feel proud to embark upon a challenging and rewarding field, because we will impact the lives of so many people,” says Rojas.

It took her two and a half years to complete her prerequisites while working full time. When she started the nursing program she had to cut her hours in half. She said her most challenging time was during her first semester because the workload was overwhelming. However, “It was an experience I grew from,” she says.

Rojas boasts about her professors who have guided and inspired her along the way. “They have been very helpful with my confidence level,” she says.

Rojas wants to work in ER or ICU. One of her professors told her she has the potential to go straight into the ICU right after graduation and that she shouldn’t doubt herself or her ability. She is more than ready to accept the challenges of ICU and the fast pace associated with the ER.

During one of her clinical experiences, one of her patients was nauseated all the time and kept vomiting. To further complicate matters, the patient didn’t speak English. When Rojas spoke to her in Spanish and examined her medication, Rojas learned that one of her drugs was the cause. Rojas said the patient was so happy that she could communicate with someone. From this experience, Rojas realizes the importance of having bilingual nurses.

Rojas is currently volunteering for the Salvadorian American Leadership and Education Fund (SALEF) in Los Angeles and is a member of their Health Advisory Committee. She is working on creating free health fairs in disadvantaged communities and she mentors high school students about choosing nursing as a career. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation invited her to be a panelist on Capitol Hill with six other college students to voice their experiences in higher education.

Rojas said her scholarship money will go toward tuition, books and fees.

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