![A Community of Support: Rosmin Blackshear’s Experience in LSSC’s Nursing Program [Student Spotlight]](https://www.lssc.edu/wp-content/uploads/MicrosoftTeams-image-103-scaled.jpg)
Meet Rosmin Blackshear, a dedicated nursing student and mother of five who has shown remarkable determination in pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. Rosmin has been an active member of the Student Nursing Association (SNA), where she served as president from 2021-2022. Her passion for nursing, dedication to her studies, and involvement in campus activities have made her a well-respected member of the LSSC community.
Rosmin chose LSSC because of its reputation for quality nursing education, and after doing research and talking to past students, she knew it would be the right fit. “I printed out all the requirements to be able to apply to the nursing program, and I taped it on my wall,” said Rosmin. Each semester she was able to cross off a class or a task. “Every time I looked at it, I knew I was that much closer to applying and working toward my dream of being a nurse.”
Rosmin is set to graduate this May with an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree. After completing her degree, she plans to continue her education at LSSC by earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). “In the long run, I see myself working in the Emergency Department as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and eventually return to LSSC as an instructor,” shared Rosmin.
As a student, Rosmin has received scholarships from the LSSC Foundation each semester, which has helped her focus on her studies and support her family. “This financial support has allowed me to be able to not worry about how to pay tuition but be a student and mother to my 5 children and show them their dreams can be achieved, too,” she said. Rosmin is proud to be an LSSC nursing student supported by her school from day one.
When asked about her favorite class at LSSC, Rosmin finds it hard to pick just one. She loves the entire nursing program and feels that she has been supported, educated, and motivated every step of the way. “From the start of the program all the way to my last semester has been a wonderful journey,” said Rosmin. She appreciated the individualized attention and feedback from her instructors and the hands-on opportunities in a clinical setting provided by the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) program and the partnership with AdventHealth Waterman.
With the DEU, each student is teamed up with a nurse for a full day once a week, which differs from other clinical training in that there is consistency. Rather than bouncing from one facility to another, with various staff members, each time a student takes part in clinical work, it is on the same hospital floor with the same nurse mentor. “The idea is to get comfortable with that nurse and … that facility and the culture – and be able to go into the workforce with little trepidation,” said Dr. Jessica Shearer, LSSC’s Dean of Allied Health.
Rosmin loves being an LSSC Lakehawk because of the smaller class sizes and community-centered approach. “LSSC has a very supportive culture and they want to see the success of each student,” she shared. Her advice to anyone considering enrolling is to take advantage of the small class sizes, ask questions, get involved in campus activities, and never give up on your dreams.