When I finally realized after years of not knowing that I wanted to be a nurse, I was thrilled to tell my mom, who has been an RN since dinosaurs roamed the earth. She told me to that to get the experience I would need in nursing school, that I should first become a Certified Nurses Assistant. After researching and debating the many possibilities for CNA schools around the Waterbury area, there was only one place that offered everything I needed, the Academy of Medical Training on Wolcott Street. As soon as I walked in I knew I made the right decision. Jamie Mirabilio, LPN and teacher of this course has an immense amount of knowledge and a great ability to share it with her students. She goes step by step to make sure you can safely and effectively take care of your patients. After graduating from her class, I started working first shift at Middlebury Convalescent Home and did home-care for Synergy Home Care of Danbury. After working those jobs for some time, I decided to make a switch so that I could further my knowledge for my nursing career and I am now working as a Patient Care Associate (PCA) in the Emergency Room of Waterbury Hospital. The opportunities are endless once you are certified! I tell Jamie all the time that I couldn’t have done any of this without her. I am truly grateful for the time she spent with my peers and I to make sure we knew the material, and all the times I received notifications about job fairs that she was hosting to help get us all working. There truly is no other place I could have imagined learning the skills I now possess as a CNA/PCA and can’t wait to keep going in my career knowing I had one of the best teachers around.
