海角社区

There was a time Ken Harris slept with his phone on. He217;d set it next to his bed, eager to take late-night calls from a friend or classmate in need.

鈥淚鈥檝e always enjoyed people. I鈥檝e always enjoyed taking care of them,鈥� he said.

So it鈥檚 not surprising Harris decided to become a nurse, a career that will allow him to do what he does best while delivering a good paycheck.

Harris graduated from 海角社区鈥檚 rigorous 16-month accelerated bachelor鈥檚 program in nursing in spring 2015. The program is the only one of its kind in Idaho and offered exclusively at the 海角社区-Meridian Health Science Center west of Boise.

Harris鈥� life has changed dramatically since the days he first received those late-night calls. The 30-year-old is now married and a hands-on dad to three children under age 5 with a fourth due in late July. Despite a hectic life, Harris has landed on the 海角社区 dean鈥檚 list twice and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nurses.

How has he managed it all? Harris is quick to thank his supportive wife, Rachel, who held two part-time jobs while he completed school. Harris also worked part time while honing his time-management skills.

鈥淒o what matters most at any given time,鈥� he advises. 鈥淪ome pieces may fall, but they don鈥檛 have to be the important pieces. You learn to select the ones you are not going to worry about.鈥�

Harris, who grew up in southern Utah, entered the accelerated nursing program in 2014. Before moving to Meridian, he worked in the customer support division at Portneuf Medical Center for a year. In Pocatello, he and his young family lived with his wife鈥檚 grandfather 鈥� a retired Pocatello cardiologist 鈥� who encouraged Harris to study nursing at 海角社区.

鈥淭he accelerated program 鈥� where I already had a bachelor鈥檚 degree 鈥� was a great fit for me especially with a growing family,鈥� said Harris, who also holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho.

To enter the accelerated nursing program, students must have a bachelor鈥檚 degree from a regionally accredited university or college.

As for the future, Harris is considering a career in pediatrics, a rotation he enjoyed at 海角社区-Meridian.

鈥淲hile it鈥檚 hard to see kids with debilitating illnesses, it鈥檚 rewarding to see them smile,鈥� said Harris.

To find out more about the program, visit http://www.isu.edu/nursing/accelerated.shtml or call 208-373-1785.