MANCHESTER, NH – Emily Cantara was born to be a nurse. Not only does she enjoy providing medical treatment to patients, helping them stay physically healthy or recover from illness or injury, but she also has a passion for people and the unique emotional connection nurses make with those in their care.
“I really enjoy supporting people in times when they need it most. I just enjoy being able to create those relationships,” says Cantara.
That’s why Cantara chose to pursue her dream at Catholic Medical Center (CMC).
Benefits and Education
When Cantara first started at CMC, she noticed the encouragement and financial support for continued education and professional development. In addition to a nurse residency program for new grads, CMC offers employees access to free continuing education units and scholarship funds.
CMC also provides reimbursement for relevant outside programs, certifications, professional organizations and tuition. It helped pay for Cantara to get her master’s degree.
“They support their staff as much as they can,” says Cantara. “It’s a great opportunity to help every employee better themselves.”
Eye-opening Experience
But perhaps more significant than CMC’s help with outside education is the vast on-the-job training nurses receive every day. There is ample opportunity for nurses, regardless of their specialty, to explore and experience different areas from cardiac care to the NICU.
Advancement and Growth
The experience can also open a nurse’s eyes to other opportunities that they might like to formally pursue in their career. At CMC, administration and management encourage not only the horizontal movement of nurses between specialties, but also vertical advancement within the organization, such as nurse manager, clinical educator, or other management roles.
In just five years at CMC, Cantara went from nurse assistant to a registered nurse before getting her master’s degree in nursing education. In June, she moved into the role of clinical education specialist.
“I never saw myself in a hospital setting for education,” she says. “But when CMC was developing their nursing residency, I saw the work they put into developing that program. To see the program go into effect was amazing. I had never seen a team of people care so deeply about what happens in an organization and about improving patient outcomes.”
A Team Effort
At the end of the day, patient outcomes and experience are what nursing is all about. CMC nurses not only support each other—they are supported by the larger organization and leadership.
“I’ve seen a lot of different leadership styles, and one of the things that separates CMC is that every member of the nursing administration and staff will come to help wherever help is needed,” says Cantara. “Here, nurses know who leadership is, and they know you.”
If you’re a nurse or aspiring nurse and are interested in joining a team that looks out for your patients, your future, and one another, check out the CMC Nursing Careers site to learn more. It might change your life or that of a patient. It certainly changed Cantara’s.
“The way CMC focuses on positive work environment, supporting its nurses, and allowing opportunities for growth will help you become a better nurse,” she says.