Our Nurse of the Week is Casey Botelho, an Air Force Veteran and first-generation college graduate who stayed true to her dream of becoming a nurse and then decided to give back by serving fellow veterans at the VA. Botelho currently works as a medical/surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), but her path there was not an easy one.
As a young girl, Botelho focused on two goals: contributing to an endeavor greater than herself and finding a career in which she could help others. Botelho joined the Air Force Reserves as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school and after six weeks of basic training she returned to Rhode Island and enrolled in classes at Rhode Island College to earn her nursing degree.
Botelho tells RIC.edu, “My love and passion to help people was the reason why I wanted to pursue going to nursing school. RIC is known for having one of the top nursing programs around so it was an honor to be accepted in the program.”
Shortly after starting her nursing degree, military orders arrived for Botelho to report to Afghanistan. Botelho became part of a unit responsible for providing dining facilities and loading trucks for missions by special force operations like the Navy Seals and Army Rangers.
After 10 months serving in a war zone, Botelho returned to Rhode Island College in 2011. She thankfully had a strong support system to lean on while she adjusted to her return to civilian life. She leaned on that support system while transitioning back into college life at RIC, taking on challenging nursing courses that identified critical care issues among geriatric and pediatric populations.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2015, Botelho decided to apply for entry in the PVAMC’s Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program (PBNR). Now she leads the PBNR’s two-month ICU training and says she doesn’t anticipate working anywhere outside of a Veteran Administration medical facility.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2015, Botelho decided to apply for entry in the PVAMC’s Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program (PBNR). Now she leads the PBNR’s two-month ICU training and says she doesn’t anticipate working anywhere outside of a Veteran Administration medical facility.
To learn more about Casey Botelho, an Air Force Veteran and first-generation college graduate who stayed true to her dream of becoming a nurse and decided to back by serving fellow veterans at the VA, visit here.
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