Rochelle Brumley, MSN-FNP, RN is an Instructor and the acting Assistant Program Director of the LVN to RN Nursing Bridge Program at our Carrington College California Sacramento campus. Rochelle earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 1992. She joined the Carrington family in 2009.
To get started, tell us a little about yourself Rochelle?
I came to the U.S from The Philippines in 2000. I’ve been married to David for five years; our son, Christian, is 4 years old. My husband is retired from the U.S. Air Force; he now works for the Coast Guard. We live in Clayton, CA, which is in the East Bay area. I have about an hour’s drive to the Sacramento campus two days a week; that’s why I mostly handle the online courses.
Tell us about your own continuing education…
In addition to my bachelor’s degree in Nursing, I earned a master’s degree in Nursing, with specialization in Family Practice, from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA, in 2006. I’m currently working on my doctorate in Nursing Practice; it’s online through Chamberlain University. I hope to graduate in December this year. I think that will be it for me, at least for a while!
Tell us a little about your career, and how you came to join Carrington?
I’ve been in the field since 1992. After I graduated college, my first job was an Operating Room [OR] Nurse. I’ve never had a job outside of nursing, or nursing education. I started teaching, on and off, in 1996. Back then I was a Nurse who did a little teaching. My first real teaching position is here at Carrington. I still work in the OR at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, CA, two days a week; so now I guess I’m a teacher who does a little nursing!
What made you want to switch to teaching?
Being a nurse I always wanted to make a difference in peoples’ lives; the more experience I got, the more I wanted to give back. I felt the best way to do that would be to educate the RNs of the future. Instead of making a difference one-on-one with patients, I felt I could make a bigger difference, and indirectly help more people, working in a classroom.
Is teaching as fulfilling as you hoped it would be?
Oh yes, definitely. After eight months I see my students graduate. Then after another month or so they start to call or text me. By this time they’ve usually taken their NCLEX to become RNs; those who pass are my colleagues now – they’re RNs too. Those calls and texts are very fulfilling on a personal level. It makes my work very satisfying, and motivates me for the future.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Actually when I was young it was a toss-up between a journalist and a lawyer. I loved writing and I loved speaking, so I figured those would be great jobs for me at that time.
When did nursing come in to the picture as a possible career?
I guess I was around 13 or 14. My mom was a nurse; I saw how her patients were so appreciative of what she did for them. They would come by the house and often bring food or gifts; they really liked her and were so grateful for her services. I think that’s what started it.
If you weren’t a teacher today and money was no object, what would you be?
If money was no object I’d like to be an artist. I love writing and I like expressing myself in poetry or on canvas – something like that.
Share an interesting fact that your students might not know about you
A lot of people don’t know that I’m also a Nurse Practitioner. That means I’m a mid-level provider; I worked in family practice for a few years after graduating in 2006, before I started teaching.
If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose?
Wow – I’d love to be in the scene at the Last Supper. But I’d also like to dine with Abe Lincoln. I watched the movie ‘Lincoln’ recently. I’d like to talk to him about his very simplistic, yet effective, style of governance. That would be a good evening.
If you knew you going to be stranded on a desert island, what book, movie & music would you take?
Book – I have a religious background, so I’d definitely bring my Bible with me. I actually have the Bible on my iPad now, so I would bring my iPad with me. Music – I like Christian contemporary music. Movie – A movie called “Of Mice & Men”. It has a lot of social significance and implications. It’s about friendship, family and love. I really like that movie.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give to students starting the Nursing Bridge program?
This program is very challenging, so I would tell them to take things one day at a time and really focus on their goal. A traditional RN program usually takes eighteen months to two years to complete. But the Carrington program can be completed in as few as eight months; we help Licensed Vocational Nurses make the transition to RNs so it’s very intensive. It’s going to need a lot of hard work, but their sacrifices will pay off. I encourage them to always reach out to their support system, as well as us instructors, for motivation, help and advice. And to use all the resources at their disposal.
Can students work while on the LVN to RN program?
It’s impossible financially for most students, especially those with families, to stop working completely for eight months. But we suggest that students don’t work full time. Working 20 hours a week at most is doable, but anything more than that is going to be very hard – there are a lot of assignments and quizzes every week.
Last question – you get an unexpected afternoon off, what would you do with the time?
Oh that’s a nice thought! I would go to the beach. I’d relax and enjoy the sunset; the water always has a calming effect on me and I love sunsets – that would really relax me. For comprehensive consumer information on our programs, visit carrington.edu Program availability varies by location. Note: Admission to, or graduation from, our Nursing program does not guarantee obtaining a license or certificate to practice nursing. Licensure and certification requirements are the exclusive responsibility of the State Board of Nursing.
