University Bound Program
Clips of Former Students
Debbie Vendittelli
I'm Debbie Venditelli and I work here at Schoolcraft College, and I started out with a two-year degree - that's where I wanted to go - and get into Nursing school. And then from that, I heard there's a lot more opportunities if I went and got my Bachelor's. So, the school that I went to, Lake Superior, offered me money to stay and give me a scholarship, so then I had to do work-study, so I worked 20 hours a week going through, so I did that. And then when I got out, I worked for several years. And if you go down to where it says "other positions" - so when I first got out, I was a staff nurse and then because I had a bachelor's degree, I could also be a Charge Nurse, House Supervisor, work in home health care, be an instructor, and even be a manager. But then I realized if I wanted more opportunity, I should go back and get my Master's degree. Plus, I decided in addition to being a nurse, I also wanted to be an instructor, and teach - like, in a classroom or in clinical settings. You can teach in the clinical setting with a bachelor's degree, and then to do the theory, you have to have a Master's degree. At a 2-year school, a Master's degree is basically the highest you have to go. If you got a doctorate degree, in nursing, you know, it would just be better. At a 4-year institution, you have to have a doctorate degree. So, I'm happy where I am - so I'm staying with a Master's degree. My husband said if I went back to school, it'd better be an M.D., and not a Ph.D., and I said, "Nah, I'm not going to do either."
But, as you can see on the positions then, then I was able to do some other things with that due to different certifications I got. I sat for the nurse practitioner examinations. So, in addition to working here, then I also work contingent as a nurse practitioner at one of the hospitals I do clinical at - so I do that over Christmas, and then during the Summer. I also teach in the Continuing Ed. Department - again, you know, adding on to that. And then, because I worked in so many different areas, so I worked in ICU, Med. Surg. Units, and emergency departments, I ended up talking to some different law firms. And then, now what I'm doing is actually another side-job that pays quite well per hour, I'm doing defense. You know, so like if the nurses are in trouble or the hospital's in trouble then I try and look at the case and say, "Yes, they were really trying to help the patient, and they didn't let them fall on purpose." But, you know, the family is trying to sue, and get money and that kind of thing. So I, you know, defend those nurses and so that's really fun. So those are a lot of the different things that I've been able to do.