Amanda Vega
Amanda Vega, B.S.N.
Hunt School of Nursing Alumna Finds Her Place in the Emergency Room
Graduated: 2018
Nurse
Socorro Independent School District
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
A Better Fit
A change of plans during her undergraduate studies led Amanda Vega to a career in
nursing. While she had envisioned a career in health care from the start, midway through
college, her goals took a slight, but positive turn. “I was initially studying to
become a physician,and it was during this process that I discovered nursing.I felt
it would be a great fit for me,” Vega said.
With a new game plan, Vega set her sights on attending nursing school locally and enrolled in the Hunt School of Nursing. She felt ready for the challenge. “The journey to nursing school is totally doable if you want it,” Vega said. “It was a grueling few semesters balancing school, work and volunteering at a local clinic, but all well worth it for a job I love.”
Full-Time Dedication
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Hunt School of Nursing
allows students to earn their degree in 16 months, preparing them to enter the workforce
as soon as possible. For Vega, this meant placing her focus almost solely on school.
“In nursing school, you have to make some sacrifices and major life changes to manage
the course –at the Hunt School of Nursing, you must dedicate yourself completely to
your schoolwork to be successful,” she said.
Vega hit her stride and immersed herself into the curriculum. Though she spent many late nights studying, the feeling of achievement was immeasurable. After completing clinical rotations in the emergency department, she knew emergency nursing was the beginning of her path.
Along the way, it was both her peers and the faculty at the Hunt School of Nursing who inspired Vega and helped prepare her for a fulfilling career. “TTUHSC El Paso prepared me in a typical sense, but what it also did was provide me with many strong and educated women in the field of nursing,” she said.
One of her mentors, Christina Blanco, D.N.P., assistant professor at the Hunt School of Nursing, immediately embraced Vega and her peers with warmth and kept them motivated. They have kept in touch since Vega’s graduation, especially as Vega cared for patients in the emergency room during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Dr. Blanco continues to work daily to advocate for nurses and nurse practitioners in Texas,”she said. “I still receive messages from her often, checking in with me, especially during these difficult times with the ongoing pandemic –she really sets the example as a nurse, educator and mentor for nurses new and old.”
Surging Ahead
After graduating from the Hunt School of Nursing in December 2018, Vega began her
job as an R.N. in the emergency department at The Hospitals of Providence. Since then,
she’s had several valuable experiences, and through it all, one vital lesson has been
reinforced: “You must always take care of yourself –for your patients,” Vega said.
“It’s important to educate yourself and make sure you are healthy and whole so that
you’re able to give your all to your patients. You cannot pour from an empty glass.”
Vega continues to serve the El Paso community as a nurse with the Socorro Independent School District.
Her best advice for nursing students? “Some days you’re going to wonder if you’re cut out to be a nurse, and you are! Take your new transition day by day, find a good mentor, and just know that it doesn’t get easier, but you get better every single day.”