Maegan Koster, registered nurse and College of the Mainland graduate, has found her dream job—working with women experiencing a difficult pregnancy in the antepartum unit at Clear Lake Regional Hospital.
 
“I’ve always wanted to be in women’s services,” Koster said. “I like helping people, and I felt like it was my duty.”
 
Three months after graduation, Koster landed the job at the hospital that she first experienced while doing her clinicals with COM.

As a student in COM’s associate degree nursing program, Koster was able to get real-world experience while still in school and became close to her classmates along the way.
 
“It’s a great program,” Koster said. “The group was close-knit. You got more one-on-one time with professors. If you had any questions, their door was always open. They’d come up on their day off and tutor you if you needed it.”
  
She also enjoyed the program’s hands-on practice, including working with SIM man, a computerized mannequin patient that can mimic illnesses and track students’ responses.
 
“He can throw up and go into cardiac arrest. He’s pretty cool,” said Koster.
 
She feels confident of continuing job opportunities in the field and is applying to the University of Texas Medical Branch’s bachelor’s degree nursing program, for which she feels well-prepared.
 
“COM nursing teachers provided me with the best experience. It’s not books and lectures, it’s real-world experience.”

The COM Nursing Program is registering through May 17. For more information visit the Web page.