When pediatric nurse Alina Atienza-Lago is not helping to save lives, shes spending time with her eight-year-old son who has autism, or volunteering for the Special Olympics, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and Autism Speaks, or lecturing at schools and churches on drunk driving and organ donation.
Even with all that on her plate, Atienza-Lago found time to pursue another goal. This July, she will be among the first 40 students to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) from Miami Dade College (MDC).
The BSN program, which started in spring 2008, has garnered national praise and attracted students from all over the world. MDC also offers bachelors degrees in education and public safety.
“We are delighted to congratulate our first pioneering class of BSN graduates,” said Medical Center Campus President Dr. Anita Kaplan. “These graduates reflect one more way that MDC is responding to the need for more baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the community we serve. Many of these graduate nurses will be able to advance to a wider variety of positions both as clinicians and managers in their chosen field.”
It was a brush with tragedy that prompted Atienza-Lago to pursue a career in nursing when at age 17 her younger sister died following an accident involving a drunk driver. “[My sister] was in the pediatric ICU and when I saw what those nurses did for her, I knew right then and there that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Atienza-Lago recalls.
In 1990, she enrolled at the Mercy Hospital School of Practical Nursing. After 15 years working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Atienza-Lago earned an Associate in Science and in Arts at MDC. Now, shes living her dream working as a pediatric nurse at Baptist Childrens Hospital.
Most recently, Atienza-Lago was named 2008 Parent of the Year at her sons school, Carrie Brazer School for Autism and also received an award for Clinical Excellence in Pediatric Nursing from MDC and Miami Childrens Hospital.
