Hugh Turner, a current second-year nursing student with CNCC, found his passion for the field when he was a certified nursing assistant (C.N.A.) in long-term care facilities. During his time there, he noticed that some patients weren’t receiving all the care they needed, and felt that by becoming a nurse, he could work to provide the level of care and support expected by patients and loved ones in this facility.
2nd year Nursing student, Hugh Turner. (Photo courtesy of CNCC)
Hugh chose CNCC because it was close to where he lives but loves the small student-to-instructor ratio. Having attended different colleges where the class sizes are much larger, he felt at home with CNCC’s smaller class size. They fit better with his learning style and let him establish relationships with fellow students and instructors. He loves how CNCC instructors know all the students and how approachable they are if he or others need help. Hugh’s favorite class is pharmacology. He finds it interesting because the side effects of each medication differ for every person, and “…some side effects might be a treatment for another, and it’s fascinating, and I love it.” He also has loved his clinical rotations at the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. “Not only were the staff incredibly nice and supportive, but the veterans themselves were awesome!”, he stated. He has really appreciated the time he has been able to spend with the veterans and hearing their stories.
Hugh fishing with family, he says he always catches the smallest fish! (Photo courtesy of Hugh Turner)
His advice for future nursing students is to make friends! You will be in the nursing program with classmates for two years and you become a very tight-knit group. Building relationships, study groups, and connections will help you not only succeed in the program but also provide an outlet with people who understand the stresses of nursing school. Hugh also encourages students to “take advantage of our location and go hiking, fishing and enjoy nature to its fullest.” CNCC is in a rural area, where it is easy to get outdoors and where there are a variety of outdoor opportunities for those willing to make the effort. Some gyms will also offer discounted memberships to CNCC students, so there are a variety of ways to help manage stress which is helpful and often needed. When Hugh isn’t in nursing classes on campus, or at clinical rotations at other hospitals, he enjoys going fishing or hanging with his brother and his wife.
Hugh also understands the impacts of rural healthcare and is excited to put his education to practice. He would love to focus on home health to expand nursing care out into these more rural areas that need extra help. Additionally, his future career goals include working for the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few years before specializing in long-term care – one of the reasons he chose to pursue nursing to begin with!
