Sometimes being a late bloomer is the best way to ultimately find your life’s path.
That’s what Tom Dunn says about his life and his career choice to become a Nurse. Today, at age 41 and a graduate of the Carrington College Associate Degree in Nursing program, he says, “I had never thought about being a nurse.” Whenever he was in between career choices or in school, Tom would work as a bartender to make ends meet. From 2004 to 2022, Tom bartended part time in the different places he lived. When he and his wife Lauren relocated to Reno, Nevada, he continued to bartend and work odd jobs trying to figure his next step while his wife went to nursing school.
Sometimes he helped her with her homework and began to realize his desire to help the community and take care of people might be something he could do as well. So, he enrolled in a nursing program at a local community college. But he failed to finish. “Everyone should fail at something before you turn 40,” he says now. He admits he didn’t prioritize well. It took him a year to recover from that, but it changed his outlook.
His wife, eventually encouraged him to try again. He got his second chance at Carrington College in Reno and this time he graduated in 2021. Although he was the oldest graduate of his class by almost 20 years, he said, “I felt like I could be me. I wasn’t forced into a mold of what a typical nurse is.”
Tom credits the years in and out of bartending jobs taught him some of the most important skills a nurse can possess to succeed in their career; yet he had no idea at the time he was honing those skills. He realized all those years his work did more than just pay the bills: he learned how to serve others, how to listen when someone wants to talk, how to help people accept the current circumstances they are in, and how to understand that not every problem requires a solution; sometimes someone just needs to be heard.
Tell me about yourself.
I grew up outside of Philadelphia. I’m from an Irish Catholic family – my Mom was the 11th of 13 kids. Both my parents were in the military; my Dad was in the Army and my Mom was a nurse in the Air Force. I followed them and signed up right after high school.
Where were you stationed?
I was based out of Hawaii and traveled to Australia for 3 months for training, then Okinawa, Japan for 7 months of training. When I eventually got out of the military I came back east. At the time Mom, was stationed in Fayetteville, NC, so I moved there and went to Fayetteville State University. I majored in History, but after getting my degree I re-enlisted; my plan was to finish my military career first and then become a History teacher.
So, what happened?
The financial crash of 2008 happened. No one would hire military personnel because they were too expensive. I called in every favor I had – and got no job opportunities to show for it. My wife’s parents had just moved out to Reno, Nevada to retire and Lauren wanted to start nursing school out there, so we moved.
What did you do while she was in nursing school?
Trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up! I worked for three years as a nightclub bouncer at a resort and casino, and then as a bounty hunter for a local bail bondsman. But whenever I was between things, I always fell back on bartending; I worked on and off as a bartender from 2005 to 2022. Looking back, I think bartending prepared me to be a good nurse. My wife Lauren inspired me to do it. I had never thought about being a nurse before. I began to realize my mom had taught me from her own experience with so many siblings, if you can do for others, you do it.
When you started down that path, how did it feel?
It was a little weird; I’m a very straight forward person and can be very brash. I was much older than the other students in my cohort, who were mostly women except three younger men than me. Lauren helped me with the soft skills, she developed my emotional IQ … She encouraged me. And then when I began to work as a nurse, I realized I had the other side of it already, from all those years bartending.
What do you mean?
You act like you belong, for one, and people don’t question you. I was okay with myself. I didn’t look like a typical nurse, but I felt like I could be me. And I wasn’t forced into a mold of what a typical nurse is. I’m kind of a meathead, at least that’s the look I get from people at first! But the truth is I really enjoy seeing the reaction when they first see me.
Bartending taught me how to be comfortable talking to patients about their life and how they’re doing. Now I’m teaching new grads that personal aspect: how to talk to a patient, how to build rapport with a complete stranger in minutes.
What exactly is your job now?
I’m in Medical Telemetry – I handle the monitors and machines that record heart rate and rhythm for electrolyte imbalances, strokes, heart attacks and heart failure, that kind of thing. We set it up, go over medical history, and get background from the patient so you have to make them comfortable enough to get a baseline. I work hand in hand with the team – nurses, nursing assistants, doctors, case managers…
Can you give me an example?
I went into a room with a woman having a chest pain; everything was very chaotic as the medical people were setting up to care for her. In the midst of it all I started chit chatting with her to keep her calm – I recognized her Louisiana accent; so, we started talking about soul food restaurants, and we ended up arguing about who makes the best gumbo. It completely distracted and calmed her down so we got a good base reading.
I get it! What do you have to say to any potential student who is thinking about going to nursing school?
Embrace it – always ask for feedback. Be yourself. Know that taking care of people is the bottom line. I’m a charge nurse now, I mentor new grads on the rapid response team. This is what I tell them.
Hear more from Tom and what it’s like to work as a nurse in Carrington College’s Real Graduates, Real Stories series:
