RN, Educator, Helps Students Become Exceptional Nurses In Sacramento

According to the California Department of Finance, in 2010 nearly one-third of Sacramento County's residents were 50 years of age or older. People in this demographic typically need a variety of health care services, which can significantly increase the need for professionals in those fields.

EDD reports, Sacramento and surrounding counties predict that from 2012 – 2022, four of the top five fastest growing occupations for master's degree holders will be in health care. In another top-5 projection, the largest growth in new and replacement jobs for A.A. graduates in Sacramento during that period includes registered nurses.

Indeed.com reports, that current job postings for Sacramento-area nurses offer salaries that are four percent higher than the average wages posted for nurses in other parts of the country.

Diane Welch is passionate about helping nurses succeed, and contributes daily in her role as lead faculty and area chair for the University of Phoenix nursing program in Sacramento. Her responsibilities include evaluating and guiding faculty development, but she also teaches classes on nursing leadership, management and ethics to students in the baccalaureate program. "I love my job because it is the best of both worlds," says Welch.

Welch received her bachelor's degree in registered nursing, and worked as an RN for many years. In addition to learning nursing skills, Welch says her schooling reinforced the need for "therapeutic communication" to effectively interact with patients and their families.

Welch earned a master's degree in nursing at University of California San Francisco, with clinical specialties in education and high-risk maternity nursing. Welch says that she loved the focus on direct patient care, but was also very interested in health care policies and education at state and federal levels. "If I had my choice, I would have stayed at UCSF longer," she jokes, "but I had to graduate."

Welch encourages potential nursing students to find college programs that fit their individual needs, like the evening and weekend courses that are available through the University of Phoenix.

"In nursing, you never stop learning," Welch says enthusiastically, "so much is happening in our profession that there is always something new."

Valerie Heimerich is a freelance writer out of Sacramento. She typically covers animals and community issues. She has volunteered and worked for many organizations helping animals and people.
Her work can be found at Examiner.com.