Fatima Gonzalez Lopez and Jaqueline Barba Gomez, both first-year pre-nursing students at the University of Nevada, Reno, are building skills and confidence for their future careers in nursing, according to a May 11 announcement from the university.
The two students are pursuing a Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialist (HSTS) Microcredential. This program introduces them to simulation-based healthcare training and has already led to employment as student workers in the Orvis School of Nursing Simulation Lab. In this role, they help prepare clinical learning environments and support student training.
“Working as a student employee in the simulation program has been a really valuable experience,” Gonzalez Lopez said. “Seeing how everything is set up and used has helped me understand how important preparation and attention to detail are in healthcare.”
Both students’ interest in nursing is shaped by personal experiences. “Growing up, I saw my parents struggle with healthcare and all the barriers they had to go through just to get a simple checkup,” Gonzales Lopez said. “That stayed with me. I know it won’t be easy, but I want to be able to support people who go through the same struggles my parents did and make them feel cared for, understood and not alone.” Barba Gomez was influenced by her father’s stroke: “To be honest, it was not until my senior year in high school that I knew that I wanted to pursue nursing,” she said. “My father got a stroke, and that changed mine and my family’s life completely.”
Both credit Upward Bound for helping them see higher education as possible. “Upward Bound meant a lot to me because it was the first time I felt like college was actually possible,” Gonzalez Lopez said. Barba Gomez added: “Upward Bound really changed my life because if it were not for the program, I would have never had the opportunity to attend college.”
Haley McNeil, director of simulation at Orvis School of Nursing, praised their contributions: “Fatima and Jaqueline have been exceptional additions to our simulation team. They are motivated, dependable, thoughtful and always willing to learn… The skills they are developing through this work… will also serve them well throughout their future nursing careers.”
Looking ahead, both students hope their early exposure will help them provide compassionate care within their communities after graduation.