For the past six years, HCA Healthcare and Galen College of Nursing have worked together to help address the nation’s nursing shortage. This allows aspiring nurses to earn their education while gaining hands-on experience in healthcare settings, creating a direct pathway from the classroom to patient care.

One of those pathways is Galen’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, which gives students an accelerated route to becoming registered nurses. Designed for individuals from a variety of backgrounds, the program attracts everyone from recent graduates to working healthcare professionals looking to advance their careers.

For Jada Pieze and Nataly Becerra, that opportunity came while working at HCA Florida Hospitals in Miami as nurse externs.

“Being able to work in healthcare while going through nursing school has been amazing because I get to connect what I learn in class with real patient care every single day. It has made me grow a lot, both professionally and personally, and it constantly reminds me why I started this journey in the first place,” said Becerra.

Like many Galen students, Pieze and Becerra chose to continue working while pursuing their degrees. While the experience provides valuable real-world learning opportunities, balancing work, school and personal responsibilities can be challenging.

“Balancing school, work and being a mother, there were times where I questioned whether I could keep going or not. But Galen has helped me grow, not only as a nursing student, but as a person. I’ve learned how to critically think and communicate with passion,” Pieze said.

The ADN program allows students to build on the knowledge they gain in the classroom through clinical experiences and their day-to-day work. For Becerra, being able to learn and apply those lessons in real time has strengthened both her confidence and passion for nursing.

Although the two worked at the same hospital, they didn’t know each other well before enrolling at Galen’s Miami campus. As they progressed through nursing school together, they found support in one another through long study sessions, clinical rotations and the challenges that come with balancing multiple responsibilities.

Pieze says having someone who understands the experience firsthand has made a significant difference.

“It gives me more hope to know that I’m not the only one that’s going through this. It gives me confidence as well. That I could have someone that could relate to me, to know what I’m going through,” she said.

For both women, the journey has been about more than earning a degree. It has been an opportunity to grow professionally, pursue their goals and build lasting friendships along the way.

By joining forces, HCA Healthcare and Galen College of Nursing is helping strengthen the future nursing workforce. By creating opportunities for working healthcare professionals to continue their education while remaining connected to patient care, programs like Galen’s ADN track are helping students take the next step in their careers while supporting the growing need for nurses across the country.

Ready to start your journey?

For Pieze and Becerra, nursing school became more than a pathway to a degree, it became an opportunity to grow personally and professionally while continuing to serve their patients. Whether you’re taking your first step into healthcare through Galen’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, advancing your education through an RN-to-BSN pathway or pursuing a higher nursing degree, their story is a reminder that your goals are within reach. With determination, support and the right educational partner, your nursing journey can start today, and your success story could be the next one told.