For JP Coleman, the path to becoming a nurse hasn’t always been straightforward. Along the way, he had to figure out what he wanted and where he belonged. But today, as a nursing student at Galen College of Nursing’s Las Vegas campus, Coleman has found a community that reminds him why he chose this path in the first place. 

Like so many others in the nursing field, Coleman was drawn to nursing because of his desire to help others. His mother is a nurse, and his own experiences as a lifeguard helped him understand how meaningful it can be to help someone when they need it most. 

“There’s something about getting that genuine thank you from somebody after helping them,” said Coleman. “It’s like a gold star in your heart.” 

That desire to help others is something Coleman brings with him both inside and outside the classroom, whether it’s through volunteering at campus events, supporting new students or encouraging future nurses. 

“He carries that same spirit of service to Galen,” said Dayton Vasquez, Campus Engagement Specialist. “JP genuinely wants to be here, and his dedication shows in everything he does.”

Before coming to Galen, he had started his nursing journey at another nursing school, where he quickly realized that finding the right environment was crucial to his success. After experiencing a lack of communication, feeling that some instructors were less engaged and finding that the students sometimes felt more competitive than collaborative, he began looking for a different path. When he found Galen, he discovered a cohort where students weren’t competing against one another, but working toward the same goal in a supportive environment. 

“In my cohort now, it’s not a competition,” said Coleman. “We’re all trying to get to the same end goal. No one gatekeeps, everyone shares information, we try to make sure we support each other.” 

That support has become especially meaningful during the challenges of nursing school. 

“You need your cohort, because you’re in the trenches together, and you’re battling the same battle,” he said. 

While Coleman is appreciative of the support he receives from his fellow peers, they are just as appreciative of his positive energy he brings to campus.  

“One of the first things I noticed about JP was the positive energy he brought wherever he went. He was always smiling, being authentic to who he is, and naturally sharing that positivity with the people around him,” said Vasquez.  

That feeling of belonging is something Coleman appreciates seeing throughout campus, including on Galen’s “Why” wall, where students share the reasons that brought them to nursing. Coleman enjoys seeing the reasons written by other students, but there is one that catches his attention every time he walks by: his own.  

Coleman’s “Why” is rooted in his desire to make a difference in healthcare. 

“There’s a change that needs to happen in healthcare, and it’s not going to happen until I start doing it,” he said. 

That desire will continue to shape the kind of nurse Coleman hopes to become. He is particularly interested in sexual health and public health and hopes to eventually become a nurse practitioner and open his own practice to take care of his community.  

For Coleman, caring for a community also means understanding what it feels like to be on the other side of healthcare. His experiences as a patient have shaped the way he wants to care for others. He hopes to bring honesty, compassion and a willingness to truly listen to every patient he encounters. 

“I’m not just a nurse, I’m also a patient,” he said. “I want to treat the patients the way I want to be treated. I want to meet them where they’re at and be real with them.”  

As he continues through nursing school, Coleman knows there is still plenty to learn. In fact, one of the biggest lessons nursing has taught him is to embrace being a lifelong learner. And while his journey to nursing may not have followed a perfectly straight line, Coleman has found something that keeps him moving forward: a reason to be here, a community to support him and a vision for the nurse he wants to become. 

For him, that is what makes nursing worth pursuing. 

“Because I want to make that change that needs to happen,” Coleman said. 

The right nursing school can shape more than your education; it can shape your entire nursing journey. Galen College of Nursing offers programs designed to prepare the next generation of confident, competent, and compassionate nurses. From Practical Nursing (PN) and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Galen College provides the supportive environment you need to pursue your nursing career.