
Jessica Lightle
Jessica Lightle’s mother is a nurse and a 2000 graduate of Owens Community College. At first, though, Lightle didn’t want anything to do with being a nurse.
Experience caring for individuals in a nursing home and again as a hospice aide changed that, though.
Lightle will receive her Associate Degree in Registered Nursing from Owens Community College during the Fall 2024 commencement. She was also chosen by her classmates as recipient of the Barbara Rood Student Choice Nursing Award.
She said receiving the award was surprising and overwhelming.
“Being chosen by my classmates humbles me,” Lightle said. “I always tried to be a good role model, a leader. … It’s very humbling. I never thought I made that much of a difference to my peers. I didn’t go out of my way to achieve it, I was just who I am.”
Lightle started her journey in healthcare as an aide at a nursing home in Swanton. She said her aunt and a friend both loved their experience there, so she decided to give it a shot.
“I loved it, I worked there for a long time,” Lightle said. “It seemed (being a doctor) was way out of reach, but I loved being an aide. I went and was a hospice aide for a while. … I just knew it was right for me.
“I liked building that trust and relationship, them allowing me to take care of them.”
Lightle also worked as a hospice nurse, which can be a high-stress environment. Her experience in a nursing home and hospice shaped the type of professional she strives to be.
“It definitely made me want to be a role model in compassion,” Lightle said. “Working in hospice, you have to be compassionate. It’s a whole different kind of mindset.
“I sat with a lot of patients who didn’t have families, and the hospice staff was almost like a family to them. No matter how difficult the patient could be, I always looked at them knowing at one time that was someone’s baby, their brother, family member. They need taken care of and respect.”
Lightle said the instructors at Owens were realistic and provided real-world advice as well as a well-rounded clinical experience.
Now with some “really cool skills” that she wants to use, Lightle has plenty of choices for what’s next. She mentioned working in an ICU or returning to hospice care.
No matter where she ends up, though, Owens has helped shape her into the healthcare professional she is today.
Learn more about the Registered Nurse Program >>
Learn more about the School of Nursing and Health Professions >>
Published December 2024