Student Stories
Kindra Wey, RN, CHPN
Nursing graduate
Clinical Supervisor, Partners In Care
Within weeks of graduating from COCC’s Nursing program, Kindra Wey was helping others. Hired originally as a hospice nurse case manager by Partners In Care in Bend, she delivered field care to homebound patients — from toddlers to the elderly — for the home health and hospice agency, a challenging but gratifying role. Accumulating experience and earning her hospice and palliative care nurse certification soon enabled her to grow into a supervisory role, and she was later brought into a leadership position for the health care provider, now serving as a hospice clinical supervisor.
“One of my responsibilities is assisting in the implementation of our nurse residency program and I have noticed a significant difference in the amount of knowledge and confidence that COCC nursing graduates have, compared to graduates from other programs,” she says. “I’m always happy to see ‘COCC’ on resumes!”
"I’m always happy to see ‘COCC’ on resumes!"
Looking back on her own education, she prizes the personalization of the program. “It’s designed to fit each learners’ needs,” she says. “Nursing is such a broad field and it was clear, from the beginning to the end, that each student would be finding their own path through the program. We could submit requests for which alternative clinical experiences we wanted, had a voice in choosing our capstone experience, and could seek out faculty who had experience in the areas we wanted to focus on.”
As a mom to three young children, Kindra was able to stay close to home while getting a robust education. “This program exceeded my expectations. I especially appreciated the early exposure to direct patient care, and the high standards set by the faculty for students to be engaged learners…providing everything I needed to know to enter the workforce with confidence and humility.”
Taylor Garr Jones, FNP-C, RN
Nursing graduate
Primary Care Clinician, ClearPath Healthcare
The breadth of clinical experience that Taylor Garr Jones received during her COCC Nursing education offered layers of growth and understanding. She recalls a constant thread running through them: “One of my instructors would say, ‘Continue to ask why, how or what, until you are no longer able to ask those questions. Then you will truly know the underlying answer for the problem.’” That systematic approach sticks with her to this day.
Upon graduation, Jones gravitated toward assisted living and memory care communities. It suited her — and she rose to the position of director of nursing services. “It’s where I really grew into how I practice as a provider,” she shares.
"One of my instructors would say, ‘Continue to ask why, how or what, until you are no longer able to ask those questions. Then you will truly know the underlying answer for the problem.’"
Furthering her learning, Jones earned a Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner certification, and now works for a hospice as an FNP and for a concierge medicine practice. It’s work, she says, that serves patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks. “I focus primarily on the geriatric community and find joy in treating patients as a whole, which I believe stemmed from my teachings at COCC.”
Jones chose COCC’s program for its reputation, superior pass rates on the NCLEX exam and an emphasis on clinical opportunities. And she discovered, once underway, something else that made the experience unforgettable: an incredible measure of support. “They were so accommodating,” she says. “I had my baby toward the end of the term, and they accommodated testing for me. The program is amazing. It helped me become who I am today.”