I knew I was making a positive impact when my son chose nursing as a career.

RICKY

“The rewards are great…the pay is good, the work hours are flexible and the benefits are great!”

Nursing is just for women?! Ricky David will be the first to tell you that this is a stereotype that the nursing profession must set as a priority to reverse. Ricky’s career as a health care provider began in the military, as a hospital corpsman. As a military corpsman, Ricky attained a license to practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) and began his career in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

After being discharged, Ricky worked for the United States Postal Service for approximately 2 1/2 years. During this time he began to reflect on “what he really wanted to do with his life” and he realized that he missed making a difference and working with people on a one-on-one basis. At this point, it was clear that as a nurse, the opportunity to help others and make a difference was one of many rewards of the profession.

Between 1983-1985 Ricky returned to college to begin the journey to a RN degree and licensure. When asked if as a male student he had experienced any barriers and or obstacles, after a split second of silence and a reflective gaze followed by a chuckle, Ricky says, “ I got called every name in the book for wanting to become a nurse. There weren’t as many males in nursing as there are now but I just remained focused on achieving my goal of becoming an RN.” In addition to the stereotypes, Ricky recalls the dedication and commitment to study. “Study groups and good time management are keys to academic success.” But in the end, “ the rewards are great…the pay is good, the work hours are flexible and the benefits are great.” With a family at home, being an RN continues to be a very rewarding career for both Ricky and his family. So much so that Ricky’s son, now 20 years old, is in his senior year of nursing school at Pacific Union College. “I never knew how much my son was watching me. When he chose nursing as a career, I knew that my job had had a positive impact on his life.”