Student Spotlight: Kyle Kelly, Masters of Science in Nursing, School of Nursing
As a native of Pahrump, Nev., Kyle Kelly has always thrived in rural medicine.
Kelly works as a registered nurse at Pahrump鈥檚 Desert View Hospital, located 60 miles northwest of Las Vegas. As the only hospital in a town with fewer than 40,000 people, Kelly has never had a dull moment in his years on the job.
He didn鈥檛 always know nursing was for him, although his penchant for wanting to help others steered him toward a career path in medicine.
鈥淢y dad actually opened the first phlebotomy lab in Pahrump, so I was exposed to medicine early. I knew it was the field for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 looked at occupational therapy, physical therapy, and sports medicine, but nothing seemed to click.鈥�
After researching the life and workload of a nurse practitioner, Kelly knew it was the right fit for him. He had seen his dad work in urgent care with students from 91制片厂, and heard how great the school was when he talked to them about it.
鈥淲hen it came to getting my nursing degree, I only applied to Touro. I knew it was going to happen,鈥� he said.
In less than a month, Kelly will graduate with his Masters of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). He could easily work at a bigger hospital with an abundant amount of resources, but he wants to stay at Desert View Hospital in Pahrump.
鈥淚 want to be able to think and process with limited resources,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing in rural medicine has pushed me to expand my knowledge and forced me to learn more. I need to learn at a faster pace here because I don鈥檛 really have a choice.鈥�
With an influx in retirees, Kelly said Desert View Hospital now has to care for older patients. With only one emergency room doctor on staff at a time, it鈥檚 up to the nurses and physician assistants to provide optimal care.
Touro鈥檚 School of Nursing provided Kelly with the opportunity to expand his education while still working as a full-time nurse.
鈥淎ll of the faculty have been phenomenal. I met most of them during my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and I told them I鈥檇 be back for the FNP,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey welcomed me with open arms. Everyone has been so collaborative and it鈥檚 made this journey so much easier.鈥�
Kelly isn鈥檛 sure what the future holds for him once he gets his FNP. All he knows is that he鈥檒l be working in the same place he grew up, helping the people who need it most.
鈥淚 knew that I needed to give back to my city, a place that really needs nurses,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is my way of giving back to my community the best way that I can.鈥�
Learn More About Touro's Nursing Program