Success Story
Colin DesRoches – patience and hard work pays off

Colin DesRoches is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who works full time at a nursing home and at a hospital on a casual basis. Working shifts, Colin handles patient care assessments, medications, and reports to Doctors and Registered Nurses. He started working only two days after he graduated!

“I was always into volunteering and helping out,” said Colin who became interested in the medical profession after completing a co-op work term in high school with the fire department and paramedics.

“It’s in the family,” explained Colin who has nurses and doctors in his family. “They gave me a lot of support.”

Colin decided to pursue a nursing career and enrolled at NBCC’s two-year nursing program. “In a class of 25, I was the only guy,” laughed Colin. “I had great instructors, it was a really supportive environment.”

“The class was pretty much like a family by the end of it,” said Colin who still keeps in touch with most of his classmates, and has even gone on to work with some of them. “It was great for networking.”

Colin did face some challenges, especially financial ones. “It (financial challenges) was the same thing that everybody goes through,” explained Colin who admitted to being discouraged, but had decided to stick it out.

“You should have a passion for people,” advises Colin to people thinking about becoming nurses. “It’s not a course where you can sit back and relax – you have to work for it, but I would definitely encourage others to try nursing as a career.”

“Nursing really opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” said Colin who’s considering further pursuing a BSc in Nursing and an MD in the future. “As an LPN, I can work in lots of different situations, all across Canada and maybe even overseas.”

Colin is pretty positive about the prospects for nurses. “The need is increasing, so salaries increase and there are more and better opportunities too,” said Colin.

Colin may have chosen a non-traditional career, but he’s overcome some pretty traditional challenges to get access to some very unique opportunities. In making a career of caring for others, he’s found a great way to take care of himself as well!

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