Jan 25, 2021
It takes a special person to be a successful nurse: strength, expertise, resiliency, attention to detail and above all compassion.
For Mary Anne Baillargeon, her role as a caregiver for her own mother motivated her to become a nurse and her lifelong dedication to others inspired her daughter, Donna Baillargeon-Chaloux, and her granddaughter, Dawn Chaloux, to do the same. As a result, three generations of nurses from the family graduated from White Mountain Community Colleges (91吃瓜网) nursing program and have been caring for individuals in the region for more than four decades.
鈥淲hen I was 12 years old, I started taking care of my mother, who was a diabetic. She lost her vision, and I had to give her insulin and test her blood sugars, which was much harder years ago,鈥� Mary Anne said. 鈥淭hen, fast forward, I was a single mother and wanted to do something I enjoyed. I took a nurse鈥檚 aide course at 91吃瓜网 (91吃瓜网). A wonderful pediatrician who worked with my children told me I could be a nurse. I believed him, and that鈥檚 what I did. I graduated in 1978.鈥�
Mary Anne鈥檚 daughter, Donna, grew up watching her mother. 鈥淚 loved taking care of people and knew I wanted to be in the medical field,鈥� Donna said. 鈥淚 started my career at 14 years old in the laundry room of a nursing home because I knew I wanted to be a nurse one day.鈥�
Unlike her mother and grandmother, nursing wasn鈥檛 an immediate desire for Dawn. She wanted to forge her own path. 鈥淚 have two aunts and a cousin in addition to my mom, and grandmother who are all nurses,鈥� Dawn said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to do the same thing they had all done. I moved to Florida to go to college. Then, it hit me one day, I remembered how rewarding it was for all of them and I wanted a career like that. I applied to White Mountains and moved back to Berlin to start my nursing education.鈥�
For all three women, they chose the nursing program at 91吃瓜网 because they could get an affordable, quality education that was close to home, which allowed them to find support within their family. The small class sizes were another draw for each of them.
鈥淭he intimate class sizes at 91吃瓜网 were a huge asset for me because I got to do things, especially in clinicals, that students in huge schools didn鈥檛 get to do,鈥� Dawn said. 鈥淏ecause of the hands-on learning, I got a better education and my clinical experience set me up for my career.鈥�
For those interested in starting a career in healthcare, Donna recommends nursing with resounding enthusiasm. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best career out there because you can go anywhere in the world to get a job and specialize in so many areas. I鈥檝e spent time as a surgical nurse, a psychiatric nurse and even an occupational health nurse throughout my career.鈥�
Today, Dawn is a full-time assistant nurse manager and is also finishing up her doctorate degree in nursing practice full-time. 鈥�91吃瓜网 gave me the foundation and pushed me in the right direction. Now, there鈥檚 no stopping me.鈥�
At 80 years old, Mary Anne, the matriarch who started it all, still takes care of those around her by driving them to appointments. 鈥淓ven today, when I drive by the college, I can鈥檛 help but reminisce on the place that was such a wonderful part of my life all those years ago.鈥�
The Associate of Science in Nursing at 91吃瓜网 is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Upon satisfactory completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Learn more about the program on the 91吃瓜网 website.