Johnny Bailey of Unicoi and Pamela Norton of Washington County, both displaced workers, are proof that a career change is possible regardless of age. They were among 37 students at the Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton who graduated from the 12–month practical nursing program on April 20 in a pinning and capping ceremony held at Bristol Regional Medical Center.
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| L–R, Cathy Ashburn, RN, nursing instructor, Pamela Norton and Johnny Bailey |
It has been a long, hard road, both said, especially developing study habits after being out of school for so long. They credit their success to the support they received from family, peers and study groups.
Bailey, a 31–year employee and quality control supervisor at Hoover Precision Metals in Unicoi, lost his job two years ago when the plant closed. The jobs moved to Mexico and China "where labor was cheaper," he said.
Norton, a 17–year manufacturing employee, has twice been a displaced worker, first at Magnavox and then with EcoQuest International, both in Greeneville. "I chose nursing for job security," Norton said.
Thanks to the Trade Readjustment Act (TRA), displaced workers, like Bailey and Norton, qualified for unemployment compensation and retraining assistance to prepare for another career.
Bailey said he chose nursing due to his background and experience. He has 22–years experience as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Unicoi County Rescue Squad. "I also had to pick something that I won't have a problem finding a job, especially at my age. I'm 57," Bailey said.
Both Norton and Bailey said the job–to–school transition has been difficult.
Norton said, "After being out of school for 21 years, going back to school has been the hardest thing I have done in my life. My family sacrificed a lot. They had to eat a lot of pizza dinners when I came home and I had to study for a test. I didn't think I could do it. My family and friends kept telling me––'Yes you can, yes you can, Pam.'"
"You have to relearn everything––how to take notes and develop study habits. Nursing is a hard program, especially for someone my age and being out of school for so long," Bailey said.
Norton said math was one of the more difficult subjects for her. "Jessica Bear of the Johnson City/Washington County Adult Education Center at Keystone School, helped me improve my math skills," Norton said.
Psychology was one of the more difficult subjects for Bailey. "It had to do with theory. After I got into it, I understood it with a little bit of help. Anatomy, physiology and med surgery, I worked my way through those subjects with my background in EMT," Bailey said.
Both Bailey and Norton said their nursing instructors, Lisa Blackburn, RN, and Cathy Ashburn, RN, went the extra mile to help students understand the subject matter. "They would even stay after class to help students," Norton said.
Upon passing the Tennessee Board of Nursing exam to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, Bailey hopes to work in a hospital emergency room in Unicoi or Washington counties. "My wife is a nurse at Johnson City Medical Center," Bailey said.
Norton said she desires to work in a nursing home, perhaps Lake Bridge Health Care Center, where she received some of the 636 hours of clinical training required of students enrolled in the nursing program at TTC–Elizabethton.
"I could not have done it (completed nursing training) without the encouragement from family and friends. I really didn't think I could do it. If I can do it, anybody can do it," Norton said.
By county, others graduating from the practical nursing program on April 20 were:
Carter – Misty Brooks, Ashley Cann, Donald Drake, Laurianne Fletcher, Jessica Gryder, Charity Johnson, Barbara Phillips, Debbie Ramsey, Michelle Shelton, Jessie Stearns and Melody Webb;
Johnson – Michelle Brown, Tabitha Garland, Heather Greene, Helen Horn, Kristen McCloud and Michael Parlier;
Sullivan – Rhonda Adams, Nedra Canter, Olivia Collier, Jessica Herron and Heather Oaks;
Unicoi – Lori Lafollette;
Washington – Jewel Davis, Loretta Frazier, Denny Guy, James Helton, Amanda Johnson, Cindy Johnson, Ashley Sparks, Juanella Stromski, Brenda Sykes, Dru Whitaker and Rachel Witt; and,
Avery County, N.C. – William Caterson.
An additional 123 nursing students attending classes in Bluff City, Kingsport and Elizabethton are scheduled to graduate later this year. The 12–month nursing training program prepares graduates for the State Board of Nursing examination to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Currently, the licensure pass rate for graduates of the nursing program at TTC–Elizabethton is 93 percent.