Odra Miller was teaching at a preschool in Oklahoma City when she felt like she needed a change. She decided to move back to her home state of California and used the new environment as an opportunity to do something new.
Becoming a nurse was something that she had always wanted to do but she wasn't sure where to start. Miller heard about American Career College on the radio and the rest is history.
"I chose ACC because of what they offered," she said. "The wonderful simulation lab and the program just seemed to fit what I needed. I didn't have to go anywhere else. It was a good choice."
Today, as an ACC-Los Angeles graduate, Miller is a charge nurse at UCLA Medical Center, working in different settings and loving every minute of it.
"The best part of it is being a nurse and taking care of the patients," she said. "It's the patient care and all the different experiences that you get. That's the greatest part of it."
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Why did you become a nurse?
I have my sister to thank for being a nurse, for sparking that passion again. I came back and I helped take care of my grandmother and I was like, 'I'm kind of good at this.' I liked it a lot. I was one of the older students in the classroom because I started late but I loved every minute of it. I loved every minute of being here.
What's the best part of your job?
Every day I have that "This is what I meant to do" feeling. When my patients tell me 'thank you' or when they tell me how happy they are to be under my care or you know just seeing smiling faces my coworkers. Every day there's a moment where I'm glad that I made this choice.
What's the worst?
The hardest part of the job is probably the hours. Being a nurse you work a lot of hours. For some reason, we all take on extra hours because we love what we do. We love taking care of people, getting them well and back into their normal life.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
The advice that I have is to choose ACC. That's my advice but also do your research. Do your research and make sure that this is what you want to do because it's not an easy thing. It's not an easy job — at all — not just the hours but what it takes to be a nurse is not easy.
So just make sure that you have that passion because that is a giant part — not just the education. The education just solidifies it for you but if you have that passion those two things together makes it great.
Do you think anyone can be a nurse?
Anyone cannot be a nurse. No. You can come here and get the education but once you exit out these doors with that certificate, that doesn't mean that you're gonna be good. I've seen a lot of nurses fall off. I've seen a lot of nurses fall off here in the program because if it's not in you, you can't do it. I'm just gonna be honest -- not anyone can be a nurse. It takes a special person to be a nurse.
Why ACC?
ACC students are better prepared for the field. I've run into people who went to other schools and they don't prepare them like ACC does. We get to experience a lot of things not just in this wonderful sim lab but out in clinicals. We have a checklist and we check everything off the list so you're way better prepared when you go into the field so when they ask you, "Can you do this?" You say "Yes." They ask the next person if can they do that and they can't do it because they didn't go here.
I've accomplished a lot going to this school. I am grateful for coming here. This would be a good choice for you if you do decide to come here because it thoroughly prepares you for whatever career that you chose to come here for — whether it's nursing, whether it's a medical assistant, whether it's surgical tech. They do prepare you and they don't just let your hand go when you leave. They also help you afterward and while you're here. Just a great school and a great program
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