What’s new on the Portland nursing campus? As longtime staff retire from the Portland campus, the three senior-level nursing classes have new professors. Let’s get to know them!
Having started last year as a clinical instructor for Care of the Chronically Ill, Mary Cohen is our new professor for the same class. Having wanted to be a nurse since childhood, Cohen has had nursing experience on the medical-surgical floor, emergency rooms, hospice, and palliative care. For the past fifteen years, Cohen’s work in hospice and palliative care has been her passion, and she was certified for that and managing there when she realized she wanted to teach. [1]
When the opportunity opened for her to teach at Walla Walla University about the vulnerable population of those with chronic illnesses, she was more than eager to apply. Cohen continues to work as a Community Care Nurse to “keep up [her] direct care skills with vulnerable populations who often have multiple chronic illnesses.” [2]
Our next professor is Kayla Cohn, who teaches Advanced Acute. Born and raised in Portland, Cohn knew she wanted to be a nurse her whole life. She graduated from WWU in 2015 and has been working in critical care in the ICU since. Cohn began working on a code team for an ICU in Oklahoma City, then worked in Trauma ICU and Trauma Emergency. She is currently getting her master’s in nursing education and transitioned from clinical instructor last year- to professor of the class this year. [3]
Finally, Jan Vigil is WWU's professor for Community Health Nursing. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she has moved back and forth between California and Oregon a few times and has lived here for the past 36 years. [4]
Vigil knew she wanted to be a nurse from a young age. She graduated from Pacific Union College in 1975 and has a wide variety of experience: NICU, med-surg, cardiac care, ICU, IV therapy, telephone nursing, charge nursing, audit nursing, community health, employee health, and even some teaching in the past! Vigil became interested in the students at WWU’s School of Nursing and first became involved as a clinical instructor many years ago, and the rest is history! [5]
When asked what their advice for students is, our new professors said the following:
Cohen: “Be open to any and all opportunities when you graduate and become RNs. Try not to limit yourself to a specific specialty at first, you may need work in several areas before you know where you shine! Please have compassion for patients, try not to get too many preconceived notions about people before you lived in their shoes.” [6]
Cohn: “[Students] should be passionate about their field. We are able to take care of the most vulnerable people.” [7]
Vigil: “It’s a journey of discovery about who you are. Be kind to yourself – you are using nursing as a fabric to figure yourself out and your own abilities. Don’t rush, take your time and cut yourself a little slack.” [8]
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