Rolla Nursing Student Finds Time for Education

Many people have asked when Carli Nesheim, Cuba, finds the time to eat, let alone attend classes at East Central College.

“I eat in my car on my way to class or on my way back to work from class. I have just enough time to drive to ECC, go to class and drive back to work on my lunch break, so I make it work!” explained Nesheim.

Nesheim attends class while also working full-time at Phelps Health Hospital in Rolla as a licensed practical nurse. Her educational background includes attending ECC directly after graduating high school, going through the LPN program at the Waynesville Career Center, taking classes for a semester at Drury University, and then making her way back to ECC.

“I came to ECC right after high school but ultimately wasn’t ready for college. We had a family tragedy, and I wasn’t in the right mindset yet,” Nesheim stated.

Nesheim’s passion for nursing was sparked by a family tragedy.

“When my Mom was in the ICU, I saw the care the nurses were providing her. That really made me want to go into the field.”

“I want to be one of the nurses that patients or their families remember having a good experience with during their stay in the hospital. I want to have that positive impact on people,” said Nesheim.

Nesheim received her LPN license from the Waynesville career center but her passion for nursing encouraged her to pursue further nursing licensure. She decided to become an RN and wanted to return to ECC to do so.

“After taking a couple of classes at Drury, I decided to come back to ECC. After I finish my prerequisite classes, I hope to do the RN Bridge program. When I graduate from ECC, I want to go for my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing),” Nesheim explained.

Ultimately, Nesheim would like to be a nurse on the surgery/orthopedic floor or an operating room circulating nurse. She is currently working at the general surgery clinic and would like to stay on at Phelps Health after she graduates.

She recognizes she has a lot of hard work ahead of her but knows that coming back to East Central College was a great step in making her dream happen.

“The advisors here at ECC have been really great. They’ve been super helpful in letting me know what I need and what I am missing now that I am back. They have made it a smooth transition for me,” Nesheim declared.

“Seeing my growth as a student this time at ECC and even as a nurse has been eye-opening. I don’t want to say it’s been easy but knowing how to study and plan accordingly has made it a lot simpler this time.”