Trauma charge nurse credits SPC education for career readiness

Tending to severe medical cases as a trauma charge nurse is a responsibility Bret Jett fulfills using the skills and values she gained from South Plains College’s nursing program. In the surgical trauma unit at an Intermountain Health hospital in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley, her SPC education kicks in, empowering her to save patients.

As a charge nurse, Jett leads her team of nurses, caring for the many critical patients who enter the Level I trauma center. Her leadership and the ability to handle the most daunting cases are qualities she credits SPC for helping her develop.

“One of the big things that I remember from SPC was that we were always encouraged to get in there and try,” she said. “If you go from a nursing school like that to a unit that is very intense and busy, you can't be afraid to do the job.”

Jett is an SPC Associate Degree Nursing program graduate from Hobbs, New Mexico, with a passion for serving people. Since graduating from the College in Fall 2022, she has earned a leadership position in nursing and uses her higher education to care for people in their time of need. However, enrolling in SPC’s nursing program and working in a trauma unit was not her original plan.

“I came across nursing accidentally,” she said. “I worked the front desk of an eye doctor’s office and became intrigued with patient care. Once I realized that’s what I wanted to do, that became my main goal.”

Jett’s introduction to higher education after graduating from Hobbs High School in 2016 was at a university. She struggled with the large learning environment and was undecided on a major, so she dropped out and sought a new path.

Upon discovering her passion for patient care, Jett searched for a new educational stepping stone and heard many great recommendations for SPC. Starting in August 2020, the College became her home for the next few years.

“SPC felt like a good combination of a lot of things I was looking for,” she said. “It has smaller class sizes, and it was more affordable for me, while also being very fun and engaging. It was a very welcoming environment that was the perfect match.”

Regarding her time attending a larger university, Jett said it can be easy for students to get lost in the crowd. SPC was different, as she interacted with a tight-knit community and seamlessly got involved in activities, like serving as a resident assistant.

“When I went to SPC, I was expecting that smaller school environment, but I was shocked to see so much community engagement going on,” she said.

As an SPC nursing student, Jett attended lectures in the College’s Allied Health Building on the Levelland campus, which prepared her for the hands-on, real-world experience she received during clinical rotations at University Medical Center and Covenant Health in Lubbock. She said the staff at the two hospitals were always eager to work with SPC nursing students.

“They tied the lessons to a lot of the physical skills we were using,” she said, regarding SPC’s nursing program. “You would go to the hospital and be signed off on certain skills that you were learning and later present those skills to a professor in class.”

Jett’s SPC education and her experience managing stressful situations helped her secure a few job offers in Utah soon after graduating. She chose the surgical trauma unit, where she started as a registered nurse and later earned her current position as charge nurse.

From checking on critical patients to assisting floor nurses, Jett juggles tasks that require the versatile skill set SPC gave her. She also serves as a clinical coach, working with nursing students and completing a full-circle moment in her education and career journey.

In addition to technical skills, Jett said SPC’s teachings about positivity benefited her interactions in healthcare.

“Overall, I enjoy being that positive and resilient nurse for my patients,” she said.

The kindness from SPC faculty helped Jett and other students prepare for a demanding field. Through their open-door policy, she said faculty always made students feel welcome to ask questions and share their struggles as they adapted to the industry.

“You'll be shocked how a positive mindset and the bravery to try will improve the whole experience,” she said.

As an SPC student, Jett realized nursing is not just about medicine but engaging with patients, so they persevere.

“SPC was so engaging and so friendly, it really encouraged me to put myself out there,” she said. “It changed my experience overall, and it shaped me into the nurse I am today.”

(Photo courtesy of Bret Jett)