Inspired by the best
Student of the Week: Erick Saldivar
As a kid, it was scary being in the hospital but the health care professionals who were taking care of me also inspired me to treat others with the same care I received.
Erick Saldivar remembers the exact moment he knew he was destined for a career in the medical field.
Being treated at a local hospital for a broken arm at the age of nine, Saldivar said he was inspired by caregivers’ professionalism and attention during treatment.
“As a kid, it was scary being in the hospital but the health care professionals who were taking care of me also inspired me to treat others with the same care I received,” said Saldivar.
Years later, the first-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student says he is determined to provide the same patient care to others that he received as a kid.
Now 21, Saldivar is on track to pursue a four-year bachelor's degree at South Texas College and considers it a personal mission to contribute his skills in the medical community, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
“There was a lot of media coverage surrounding the shortage of nurses we were facing and across the country as well,” said Saldivar. “The nurses who were still able to work were being overworked because there wasn’t a lot of them in the workforce at the time.”
After seeing the demand for health care professionals during the pandemic, the Pharr resident knew this is where he belongs.
“I wasn’t sure about committing to a four-year university, and instead, I wanted to see what STC had to offer, and I’ve enjoyed my classes ever since,” he said. “My professor for my College Success for Health Care class emphasizes patient care, which goes back to what I witnessed as a kid in the hospital. We learn to empathize with our patients because we are all human at the end of the day.”
The RN-to-BSN program is designed to respond to the increased demand for nurses in Hidalgo and Starr counties by providing increased access to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to applicants who already possess a current, unencumbered RN (Registered Nurse) License to practice in Texas or an Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact RN License.
The program focuses on advancing competencies, skills and values needed to meet the demands of the current health care system.
Saldivar plans to serve the Valley community once he graduates.
“I’m excited to pursue this degree plan and commit to my studies so that I can serve my community,” he shares.
For more information about STC’s RN to BSN program visit, https://nah.southtexascollege.edu/bsn/