Galen Stories – Emily Foster: It Just Takes Walking Through the Door

— Audio Transcript — 

My name is Emily Foster. I’ve been married for 13 years. I completed the LPN evening program and the LPN to RN bridge at Galen. I currently serve as a full-time faculty member at Galen, and also as a telehealth supervisor at a local hospital.

What inspired you to become a nurse?

My brother has cerebral palsy, and he lives with a nurse who is his caregiver full-time. She has always done an amazing job with him. That’s the type of care I wanted to be able to provide. I wanted to make that difference in someone’s life like she has with my brother.

But you didn’t pursue nursing right after high school…

When I got married, life kind of took over, and I decided to go into the workforce. Later on, I felt that calling still and decided that it was time for me to return to school and get my nursing degree.

Why Galen College of Nursing?

Galen offered me the option to go to school in the evening, and that fit my schedule perfectly, so I was able to continue to work my full-time and part-time job, and go to school in the evenings, and still be able to realize my potential.

How was the Galen experience?

Galen has been fantastic. It’s been life-changing for me. I was immediately impressed by the number of instructors that were reaching out to offer assistance if any of us needed it. The class sizes were small. There was no more 300-plus people in a class. My largest class at the time was 15.

Do you feel that Galen prepared you for post-graduation?

I would have never been able to accomplish the things that I have so far if it hadn’t been for coming to Galen. I passed both of my nursing boards on my first try in the minimum number of questions, and I have yet to run into a situation on the floor that I haven’t felt prepared for.

Why did you return to Galen as an instructor?

I felt so strongly about the program and the education that I had received here that I wanted to be able to provide that same opportunity to students at Galen. I felt that I would bring a unique perspective to their education, having gone through the program, and could provide some insight to them that may be helpful.

Any final thoughts?

Nothing should stand in the way of what you want to do with your life. It just takes walking through the door. You just need to take that first step, and we’ll help you with the rest.