{"id":12879,"date":"2021-10-02T01:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-02T07:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=12879"},"modified":"2021-10-01T14:38:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T20:38:00","slug":"one-step-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=12879","title":{"rendered":"One Step at a Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Local high school graduate begins her nursing career at TSC<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monika Ortiz graduated this summer from TSC\u2019s Certified Nursing Assistant program and was recently honored in a pinning ceremony hosted by the program.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (September 17, 2021) \u2013 Monika Ortiz took a leap in getting ahead in her career this year when, as a high school student, she decided to enroll in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Texas Southmost College.
And this summer, she earned her certificate, officially beginning her nursing assistant career.
\u201cIt\u2019s such a great feeling knowing that I was able to prove to myself that I could do this,\u201d said the 18-year-old. \u201cAnd the fact that TSC gives us this type of opportunity, so young, means a lot. I\u2019m really grateful that I got this chance.\u201d
The Los Fresnos High School graduate said she thought earning this certification in high school would be a good start and would solidify her career decision.
\u201cThis has just fueled my passion for nursing even more,\u201d said Ortiz. \u201cI know for sure that this is what I want do in life.\u201d
Growing up, Ortiz had her mind set on being a teacher, but as family members became ill, some even diagnosed with cancer, she got a first-hand look at the work every nurse who cared for her loved ones did and just how much of a difference they were making.
\u201cEveryone that cared for our family during these difficult times were so helpful,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were empathetic, compassionate and passionate, and it showed in their care. I knew right then and there that this was my calling too.\u201d
However, Ortiz said she hasn\u2019t given up on teaching just yet.
\u201cAs a nurse, I get to care for others, lend a hand, but I also get to teach them about health and wellness,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a perfect blend.\u201d
So, after numerous hours in the classroom and in clinical settings, Ortiz is on her way to working in the field of nursing, while pursuing her bachelor\u2019s degree at a local university.
\u201cBecause of the CNA program, I am so much more confident beginning my journey as a university student,\u201d said Ortiz. \u201cFrom classroom and lab to hospital settings, I was exposed to everything that comes with being a nursing assistant and then some. It\u2019s really difficult to explain how impactful it all was.\u201d
Ortiz\u2019s dream is to become a nurse specializing in oncology or neurology, and she said TSC helped give her a brighter outlook.
\u201cTSC\u2019s CNA program allowed me to grow up, change my mentality about what it really means to be a nurse and learn about personal responsibility,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are lives in my hands as a nurse and connections to be made with patients, it\u2019s a lot more than what someone sees on \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d and I\u2019m in this for the long run. This is where I\u2019m supposed to be.\u201d
Ortiz was one of four Los Fresnos High School graduates who received their certification as a nursing assistant from TSC this summer.
After being honored for her achievement at a recent pinning ceremony hosted by TSC\u2019s CNA program, she is officially welcomed into the profession and ready to take the journey toward becoming a registered nurse one step at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Local high school graduate begins her nursing career at TSC BROWNSVILLE, Texas (September 17, 2021) \u2013 Monika Ortiz took a leap in getting ahead in her career this year when, as a high school student, she decided to enroll in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Texas Southmost College.And this summer, she earned her certificate, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1,14],"tags":[67],"class_list":["post-12879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news","category-valley","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12879"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12881,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12879\/revisions\/12881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}