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The Health Careers & Vocational Nursing program is led by instructor Cheryl Gates RN, MSN. Cheryl, along with fulltime instructor Mary Kowalski, RN, MSN and several qualified adjunct faculty, are committed to excellence in education and in helping to prepare our students for a career in the health care field.

Cheryl Gates RN, MSN, PHN

Having started my nursing career in Florida after graduating from Pensacola Junior College with my ADN, I began working in the ICU/CCU at Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, Florida. This is where the foundation for my nursing experience began. Working in a critical area gave me the knowledge and insight into the world of nursing and the actual affect nursing has on patients. The ability to make a change in someone’s life as a nurse has proven to be a fulfilling career choice.

After relocating to Ridgecrest, CA with my family in 1995, I continued my nursing career at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital working in the Emergency Room. This experience continued to further my skills and expertise in nursing. In 1996 I was given the opportunity to teach the ROP Health Careers at the local high school to juniors and seniors. I found this to be an extremely rewarding experience.

In 2001 I returned to nursing at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital and began college classes to further my nursing career. In 2004 I received by BSN from California State University Dominguez Hills, and then in 2006 I received my MSN with emphasis in Nursing Administration/Education from California State University Dominguez Hills.

Opportunity presented itself again in 2005. I began teaching at Cerro Coso Community College for the LVN program. The ability to use my knowledge and experience to facilitate the training and education of new nurses has been very rewarding and exciting. Each day presents new challenges in the development of future nurses.

Mary T. Kowalski RN, MSN

Nursing has been my commitment and passion for 30 years. I started my nursing career working as a nurse's aide while attending nursing school. In the early phases of clinical practice, I knew that life as a nurse would be a never-ending learning process.

The years employed in numerous aspects of the nursing field would later become an integral part of teaching students. Medical, surgical, orthopedic, pediatric, and geriatric units provided broad bases of experiences.

Critical care knowledge greatly expanded during my years in nursing, and I was able to grow in depth and learn an appreciation for the concerns of the client, the nurse, and the physician. Many years in emergency departments and intensive care units provided me with multitudes of bed side stories that would be shared with future nurses.

Teaching nursing students was an opportunity to share accumulated knowledge. For the last 20 years, I have been teaching theory and clinical aspects of nursing to student vocational/practical nurses. During these teaching years, students have shown me that they can change their own lives as well as the lives of their families and their clients.

Nursing is a career that has rippling, cumulative effect that will continue into your students' futures, well beyond their brief moments as students of nursing. My very best wishes to all students as they embrace the joys and challenges of nursing.

Heath Articles for Local Newspaper

Mary has written many articles for our local newspaper, the Daily Independent, on various Health-related topics. Click here to view articles.

Featured Highlight

Caroline Rosdahl and Mary Kowalski have co-authored "Textbook of Basic Nursing." Considered a classic nursing textbook for LPN/LVN training, this comprehensive textbook meets all of the needs of the practical/vocational nursing curriculum in one coherent and cohesive source. Broad coverage includes A & P, nursing process, growth and development, skills, and pharmacology, as well as a foundation in the Medical-Surgical, Maternity, Pediatric, and Psychiatric-Mental Health nursing arenas. The Rosdahl text is now in it's 9th edition! Learn more about the latest edition at: http://ThePoint.lww.com/Rosdahl9e  

Last updated 12/05/2007

Cheryl Gates RN, MSN
Faculty Director of Allied Health
3000 College Heights Blvd.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555

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http://www.cerrocoso.edu