LCCC health sciences degrees lead to jobs

A career in health care felt like a calling for Zoe Meier. Her youngest brother went through cancer, and during that time, the healthcare professionals made the difficult experience easier to cope with.

“The nurses there were so nice and helpful to our entire family,” she said. “It really helps make a difference. We felt safe and cared for. I thought that I wanted to do that someday.”

Laramie County Community College helped to make that dream a reality for Meier, as she graduated from the Nursing Program in 2022. Before coming to the Nursing Program, she had graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but she didn’t know exactly what to do next.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Meier said with a laugh.

After UW, Meier had been working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, or CNA, for several years. As her now-husband began pursuing his own path at LCCC, the two moved to Cheyenne. The timing seemed right, Meier thought, to pursue a career in nursing.

The nursing curriculum at LCCC, part of the Revolutionizing Nursing Education in Wyoming (ReNEW) initiative, is structured over four semesters following a prerequisite term. It offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) that enables graduates to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and pursue immediate RN employment. Graduates can then seamlessly transition to the University of Wyoming to complete their Bachelor's in Nursing (BSN) in as little as one semester, enhancing their career mobility and educational progression.

While the Nursing Program is rigorous and challenging, Meier said she felt supported by LCCC’s faculty and staff who helped her overcome hurdles. The curriculum, she said, had prepared her for her eventual career. From the get-go, Meier said one of the appealing things about the program was the opportunity to begin work as a Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN, while still a student. With the guidance of people at LCCC, she was able to do just that, securing a position on the Oncology Floor at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in summer 2021.

The work, she said, has allowed her to fulfill the desire to help patients and their families.

“One thing that I really enjoy about (the work) is how I get to spend a lot of time with my patients,” Meier said. “I have a maximum of five patients in a day and that makes me feel like I can sit down with them, talk to them know who they are as a person and not just who they are as a patient.”

Today, as an LCCC graduate, Meier still works on the Oncology Floor at CRMC.

Nursing, however, isn’t the only path available to those looking for a rewarding career in health care. Emersen Dodge, like Meier, had attained a bachelor’s at UW right after high school, in this case graduating with a degree in physiology in 2020. Dodge also had experiences earlier in her life with a sibling who struggled with healthcare issues, finding the help provided by professionals in the field extraordinary.

“My sister’s health problems were a big factor in our lives, but she ended up getting better, and I wanted to be a part of helping somebody’s life get better,” Dodge said.

Dodge, a Colorado native, was working in retail in Casper after she graduated from UW.

“I didn’t know what to do — I was kind of stuck,” she said.

It was during that time she encountered a woman who was an ultrasound technician. Dodge had already had an interest in healthcare, but wasn’t sure what kind of career would be the right fit. A little searching led to the Sonography Program at LCCC, which Dodge said resonated with her as a real option.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography, or DMS utilizes high-frequency sound waves to generate precise images of internal body structures, such as the abdomen, heart, blood vessels and fetus, which assist physicians in diagnosing diseases. Sonographers, who are trained at LCCC extensively in physics, disease processes, human anatomy and sonographic techniques, operate advanced ultrasound technology independently and with a high degree of skill, judgment and professional maturity to aid medical diagnoses. 

Like the Nursing Program, Dodge said the Sonography Program was demanding and required hard work. However, the support and understanding of Program Director Adrienne Wade and others at LCCC helped guide Dodge and her fellows through the program successfully.

“Adrienne was always telling us, ‘Hey, you can do this — you’ve got this,’ and just encouraging us,” Dodge said. “She was the best.”

The last three semesters of the Sonography Program are primarily clinical experiences, and students may be placed in various hospitals and clinics in the region. Dodge was able to return to Casper to complete her clinical portion and will take on a job at that site when she completes her degree in May.

“I’ve been basically doing it for a year already, and now I’m just going to be on my own,” she said. “Just changing from a school email to a work email.”

Go to lccc.wy.edu/nursing for more information on the Nursing Program. More information about the Sonography Program is available lccc.wy.edu/sonography.