Nursing has always centered on people in Raymond West’s view. He enjoyed a lengthy career in the field.
Today, though, West is looking in another direction. His new chapter includes reconnecting with his alma mater, Virginia Peninsula Community College, exploring ways to support nursing students.
The Hampton High School graduate enrolled at VPCC in 1987 after a brief stint in the U.S. Air Force. A knee injury led to his medical discharge.
“I had veterans’ benefits and decided to go for it,” West said.
He completed prerequisite courses, and the Nursing program accepted him in 1988. West, who earned an associate degree in 1990, said very few men pursued nursing at that time.
“My nursing class started (out) with about five men. I was the only one to graduate,” he noted.
He transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a member of the Virginia Student Nursing Association (treasurer) and finished in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. His VPCC experience laid the groundwork.
“I wouldn’t have been able to go to VCU and pursue my bachelor’s degree without having started (at VPCC). It also helped me get my nursing license faster. I didn’t have to wait until I finished at VCU to get my license,” he noted.
“A lot of the students I was going to school with up there had to wait until they graduated from a four-year program. I could have worked in those years that I went to school, but I chose to concentrate on my studies,” added West, beaming with pride over graduating with honors.
Two degrees in hand, West dove straight into his career in 1992. He spent slightly more than a decade as a healthcare professional. Nursing took him throughout the region with positions at Williamsburg Community Hospital, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD), Sentara CarePlex Hospital, Riverside Health and Mary Immaculate Hospital.
His many nursing roles ran the gamut, including acute care and critical care. Reflecting on his service, West said his years at CHKD stand out as the most rewarding. He worked in progressive care, intensive care, the operating room, and even served as a nurse educator. In his roughly nine years there, he also learned from nationally recognized physicians. He said working with a renowned craniofacial surgeon was especially worthwhile.
“The environment there allowed me to practice in many different areas,” he said. “I got to work with a lot of children, learn new skills and work with very top-notch physicians.”
Helping patients and families navigate life’s most difficult moments gave West purpose throughout his career.
“It’s very rewarding when you know you’ve made somebody feel better, or you’ve helped them get through a very difficult period,” he said. “We’re kind of just there to help facilitate them in their journey.”
The purpose he found in caring for patients carried over into his personal life. West stepped away from nursing around 2005 because of an illness. His condition stabilized, but he faced another crisis in 2013 when his mother suffered a stroke.
“I used to kid that I hadn’t practiced nursing in a while, and her doctors used to say, ‘Well, what do you think you’re doing with your mother? You’re still practicing nursing,’” he recalled.
West devoted 13 years to caring for his mother until she passed this year in April.
Grieving the loss and managing estate affairs, he’s looking for ways to enrich his life. West hopes to make an impact much like he did while in nursing. Community engagement through the American Red Cross is at the top of his list, and he might consider teaching should an opportunity arise down the line.
One thing is certain. West wants to help VPCC students, who are studying to become the next generation of nurses. In his quest to support nursing education, he connected with the College’s Educational Foundation this year and is exploring the possibilities for a future financial gift.
“I’m hoping (my contribution) will help the nursing program help at least one student … make it a little easier for them to get through the program without having to be worried about working, going to school, managing a family in some cases,” said West. “I didn’t have those responsibilities.”
“I went to school with other students who struggled, so I’ve seen firsthand how hard it can be. If I can maybe help one student at a time, then it will be all well worth it,” he added.
West toured nursing labs at the Hampton Campus recently. The evolution of nursing education and modern facilities wowed him.
“It’s amazing to me how things have changed. We had nothing like this when I was in school here. It has grown exponentially … all those beds, mannequins and practice stations,” said West, pointing out that 36 years ago at the College he and nursing classmates had to practice on each other, taking blood pressure, temperatures and blood sugar.
Despite technological advancements, West believes one lesson remains timeless: “Use the technology to help you do your job, but don’t take your focus off the patient.”
“It’s good to have all those things at your disposal, but don’t take your eye off the actual patient and dwell so much on the technology. Nothing on that computer is going to be better than your own assessment by using your eyes, your touch, your hearing,” he emphasized.
“Look at your patient. What is your patient telling you? What are you seeing in your patient? Depend on your own assessment and what your physician’s guided things to be as well. Keep your focus on the patient,” West added.
Looking back, he says the friendships he formed at VPCC mean as much to him as the education and training he received.
“We were pretty closely knit,” he said. “We got each other through it – did almost everything together – went to class, studied, did clinicals. Some of my classmates used to joke that they saw me more than they saw their husbands. We all tried to support each other.”
“That’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my career,” stated West, who enjoyed membership in Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Student Government Association (president) and the Student Nursing Association (president).
