Nursing is all in the Family

By Sharmin Shanur ’16

     Immaculate Heart alumnae (and sisters) Leah and Loren Bognot recently visited Stacie Miller’s Anatomy and Physiology class to talk about the medical field, specifically nursing.

     Leah Bognot, class of 2007, had worked as a registered nurse at Kaiser, but has since joined UCLA’s staff. She said she first aspired to become a nurse after Ms. Miller advised her to attend a local premed workshop. There, Leah realized that she wanted to positively impact the people around her in a way that would not take more than four years of college. Therefore, after completing her prerequisites at CSUN, she enrolled in a rigorous nursing program at West Coast University. Leah explained to the physiology students that nursing is not a simple profession, but rather one that requires conviction, hope, and, most importantly, a love for the subject matter. Without these feelings, she said, she would have found it hard to complete the program.

     Loren Bognot, class of 2013, reinforced her sister’s advice and mentioned that IH students have an advantage because the school prepares them for the struggles of university life and the real world. She also called on students to value their Immaculate Heart experience because the school’s environment is so special. Loren is currently enrolled in a three-year nursing program and has completed two years so far. She, like her sister, said that nursing is extremely rigorous. For example, her summer and winter vacations are no more than a few days long. Despite this, Loren considers the experience worthwhile and will benefit her future.

        Both sisters also agreed that their pay as nurses is worth the long nights and hard days. Leah stated that as a fairly new nurse, she is normally paid about $30 per hour, and during holidays this can increase up to $100! Although money can be a great incentive to become a nurse, Leah repeatedly said that one should love the subject and helping others, otherwise the job can take a huge toll on one’s life.

        All in all, the Bognot sisters currently enjoy their career path and urged IH students to consider nursing. They believe it is a very exciting profession and a great way to enter the medical field without spending a lifetime in college.

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