Loretta Rojo
Acute Care Nurse
Orange Coast Memorial Hospital
Fountain Valley, CA USA
“Go for it. Don't let the numbers scare you.”
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
Originally I wanted to be a dental hygienist, but my college application got in the wrong pile and I got accepted into the Cerritos College nursing program instead.
At first I was devastated, but I didn’t have the choice to take a year off, so I stuck with nursing.
After getting my associate’s degree in nursing, I was employed at Rio Hondo Hospital for eight years.
I worked on the surgical floor, in critical care, operating rooms, and the emergency room.
Moved to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital where I became a critical care night nurse and then an open heart nurse.
After working at Fountain Valley Regional for 14 years, I got promoted to supervisor.
For the last 18 years, I’ve been at Orange Coast Memorial doing recovery, critical care, and now pre-op, post-op, and pre admissions.
Education
High School
Career
Acute Care Nurse
I review patients’ medical history to ensure their safety during surgery.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Medicine
Education
Helping People
Day to Day
I look at the surgery schedule and patient profile then I contact the patient to confirm their identity. I write up a brief medical history and enter the information into the computer, then I review their chart and make a note of any medications they’re on or illnesses they have. After I collect all this data, I check for abnormalities and it's my job to contact the surgeon or anesthesiologist if there are any concerns.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Go for it. Don't let the numbers scare you. Don't let the waiting lists scare you. Get your prerequisites done so that once you get into that nursing program you can focus. For underprivileged kids or people who can't afford university, look for scholarships, always refer to your counsellors and start taking those college prep classes. If you're just generally interested in nursing, take some general courses and see if you fall into it.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Teachers:
"You don’t have your priorities straight."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
Work Stress
