Michael Hosley may have started his career as a Marine Corps aircraft mechanic, but his experiences with veterans led him to make a life-changing choice.
Hosley had always been interested in mental health, but he finally decided to obtain his nursing degree at West Coast University-Texas after learning about the challenges veterans faced dealing with mental health.
“I had a lot of experience with veterans who weren’t receiving the type of treatment that they felt like they deserved,” Hosley said. “And I felt I had the capacity to help in that way.”
Before enrolling in school, Hosley would talk to his wife, a nursing student, and learned how she was able to help people in similar situations.
“Having that window into the profession really helped,” he said. “It really helps being able to speak the same language at home… I feel like it’s just a huge benefit to have someone like that around.”
Wanting to change his career as soon as possible, Hosley toured the Richardson campus after learning there was no waitlist at WCU-Texas. Once he saw the facility, simulation labs, and small class sizes, he knew where he would begin his new journey.
It was just after his first rotation at a mental health facility that he knew he had made the right decision.
“I left the clinic that night and all my patients ran up to see me and gave me hugs. They thanked me for being there and listening, and said, ‘We believe that you’re going to be an amazing nurse,” Hosley said. “And after that night I thought, ‘OK, so maybe I can do this.’”
While the pandemic impacted a part of that journey for Michael, he was thankful for the support WCU provided during the shift to full online learning.
“WCU was seamless with the switch to virtual,” he said. “Once we got started, the instructors were very encouraging. I felt like we had a lot of guidance to help us facilitate that transition.”
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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