Peggy O’Neal Returns to OFTC to Further Nursing Career
OFTC –After working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for nine years, Peggy O’Neal knew it was time to further her education and pursue an advanced nursing degree.
She’d had an experience with a tender and compassionate hospice nurse who administered palliative career to a loved one, and it left an impression.
“It was my sign to go in that directional path of nursing,” she shared.
A 2015 graduate of Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s (OFTC’s) Practical Nursing (PN) program, O’Neal could think of nowhere else she’d rather go to advance in her chosen profession than OFTC.
“I knew that furthering my education would give me a sense of accomplishment, and I wanted to make my two daughters, and myself, proud.”
So, she returned to the place—and the people—that helped her believe in herself and her dream of advancing her nursing career.
ADN Bridge Program
O’Neal was accepted into OFTC’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Bridge Program which offers LPN’s or paramedics who have at least one year of in-field experience the opportunity to become a Registered Nurse (RN) through a one-year accelerated bridge program.
“What better place to begin this journey (again) than OFTC,” O’Neal said. “This is where my journey began, and I am confident in my abilities to complete this program and become an excellent RN.”
“OFTC feels like home and the instructors are the best,” she added, recounting her experiences as a former student where she felt supported and encouraged.
“My OFTC instructors gave me the strength, dedication, and motivation I needed to succeed in life,” she said. “They always made me feel comfortable enough to not sit back, but to get involved, ask questions, and stand out.”
And as a non-traditional student, this made a difference in her entire experience.
“All the instructors made my college experience at OFTC more than successful the first time around,” O’Neal said. “My journey here made me the person I am today!”
Prepared for Success
O’Neal is now just one semester into the ADN Bride program, but says she already has the same feeling she had the first time around.
“OFTC prepares you for success,” she said. “My instructors are still giving me the feeling that I belong in this program. They hold the students to a higher level, teaching and critiquing us in a way to help us become successful in our career.”
As someone who chose to further her education later in life, O’Neal says she hopes others will be encouraged by her experience and not let age keep them from pursuing a new career.
“You are never too young or too old to further your education,” she said. “If you put in the dedication and sacrifice of attending OFTC, you will have a successful story of achieving goals and a career you can be proud of.”
To learn more about OFTC’s Nursing Programs, visit OFTC.edu.
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OFTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.
