CTE Career Journeys – Registered Nurse
Antonette Adams
Sr. Product Marketing Manager • Career and Technical Education • National Geographic Learning | Cengage
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Journeys series is aimed to shed light on current career trends as they align to student career clusters. In this series installation, we have interviewed Chris Orr, a High School Principal in the Education & Training career cluster. Chris shares with us the career journey that lead her to his current role with Capital Christian High School. Chris dives what motivated him to pursue this career, milestones that lead to where he’s at today, how she stands out in her field and advice for others looking to pursue this career. This series also offers career outlook data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Interview information
Name: Chaelyn Tani
Title: Registered Nurse
Career Cluster: Health Sciences
Company: Queens Medical Center
Additional Career Highlight Information
Career Outlook: 6% increase (faster than average)
Median Salary: $81,220 per year
Education Needed: Bachelor’s degree
*All career outlook data is collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Question and Answer with Chaelyn Tani
Q: What motivated or inspired you to pursue your particular role or career path?
A: I have wanted to pursue a nursing career since middle school after completing a cliche “what do you want to be when you grow up” assignment. During my first year in high school, my grandma pushed me to start volunteering at my local nursing home. I talked to the nurses about their careers there, which helped solidify my desire to pursue a nursing degree after high school.
Q: What were the key milestones or turning points in your career or life that led you to where you are today?
A: My grandma got sick and passed away in 2006 from pancreatic cancer. I remember going with her to chemo appointments at Kaiser and decided I wanted to be an oncology nurse. I wanted to be someone who took care of others with as much love and compassion as those nurses showed my grandma and our family.
Q: What strategies did you employ to stand out in your field and differentiate yourself from others?
A: To stand out in nursing, obtaining a specialized certificate helps. I was able to obtain my oncology-certified nurse designation. Continuing education also helps to keep you the most up-to-date in healthcare, which is always evolving.
Q: Looking back, is there anything you would do differently in your career journey or advice you’d offer individuals in or considering your field?
A: My advice to future nurses is to make sure that nursing is your passion and not just a job. It can be a very thankless and emotionally draining job, and if you are not pursuing this career because you truly have a passion for it, you will find yourself burnt out. Also, remember there are so many avenues to nursing; if one place doesn’t suit you, find another that will.
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