Father and Son Answer New Call to Become Nurses
When Satchel Nash, 27, of Sherwood, was thinking about what he wanted to do for a career, he naturally looked to his father, Greg Nash, 50, of North Little Rock, and followed in his footsteps to become a firefighter and EMT.
Even though he enjoyed his long and challenging career, Greg, however, also had a long-held desire to become a nurse. Years later, he would follow a suggestion from Satchel as they both embarked on an incredible journey to become nurses together.
鈥淚鈥檝e always thought about it, certainly for the last 10-15 years,鈥� Greg said. 鈥淭he timing was never right. Now with the kids out of the house, Satchel wanting to do it, and retirement around the corner, it made it an easy decision for me.鈥�
In May 2023, the father-and-son firefighting duo answered a new call to enroll at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in the accelerated Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a great time,鈥� Satchel said. 鈥淲e ride to class and clinicals together. We always make sure to hold each other accountable. We鈥檝e really enjoyed it, and it鈥檚 been an absolute blast.鈥�
Satchel left his position at the Cabot Fire Department to focus on nursing school, and he now works part-time as a patient care technician at the Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock Emergency Department.
鈥淚鈥檝e really love it,鈥� Satchel said. 鈥淭he nursing program allows me to work while I am in school. It prepares us for the NCLEX exam and a real-world nursing career after that.鈥�
Greg continued to balance work as a firefighter during the first part of school. He retired from the North Little Rock Fire Department after 23 years in August, just three days before the fall semester began.
鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed going to nursing school,鈥� Greg said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 challenging, and it鈥檚 stressful a little bit of the time. It鈥檚 a fun program. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is the first program and the only program we picked. I鈥檓 glad we got to do it together.鈥�
When it comes to school, the Nashes have different styles. Greg is more structured and likes to hand in his assignments well ahead of schedule, while Satchel is much more laid back. Even though Satchel is a responsible adult, Greg admits it鈥檚 sometimes hard to turn off his worrying dad mode.
鈥淭he hardest part for me is stressing out over him not stressing out,鈥� Greg said. 鈥淗e always manages to get everything done, and I鈥檓 always worried about him getting everything done. I tend to freak out about grades and tests, and he鈥檚 a little more calm than me. We balance each other out.鈥�
As for the faculty in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Nursing, this is the first time they can recall having a father and son completing the associate degree program at the same time, and they said it鈥檚 been a fun and unique experience.
鈥淗aving both a father and son in my class has been an extraordinary experience,鈥� said July Staley, assistant professor of nursing at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淭heir dedication and commitment to their studies are truly inspiring. They’re always eager to learn, approaching each new challenge with a smile on their faces. I am genuinely excited to see where their journey in the nursing profession will take them.鈥�
The Nashes received scholarships from Baptist Health to earn their nursing degrees, and they are both excited to start their nursing careers at Baptist Health after they graduate in December. They also plan to finish their bachelor鈥檚 degrees at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock together as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that we鈥檒l always remember,鈥� Greg said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had every single class and every single clinical together. It鈥檚 been a neat experience. We鈥檝e definitely gotten closer in the last two years.鈥�