“There were moments when I doubted myself, but I chose not to give up on my dream.”
Those words from Merit Technical Institute graduate Janett Santiago, LPN, may sound familiar to anyone working toward a new career. Janett’s path to nursing was personal. She returned to Merit for a second chance, kept going through moments of uncertainty, and passed the NCLEX on December 22, 2025, on her first attempt. Today, she works at 1st@Mericare.
When Janett shared her exam results with Merit, she described feeling confident as she took the NCLEX—something she said was new for her. In a later message, she reflected on what that achievement meant: giving herself another chance and continuing to pursue her dream, even when she had doubts.
Her story offers encouragement to students preparing for their own exams. Confidence does not always arrive at the beginning of a journey. Sometimes it grows through learning, practice, persistence, and the support of people who believe you can succeed.
Learning beyond the classroom
Merit’s Practical Nursing program combines classroom instruction with supervised clinical training. Students learn foundations of patient care and have opportunities to develop their skills in clinical settings. The program also includes NCLEX-PN preparation.
Clinical training is an important part of the journey from student to nurse. It gives students a chance to ask questions, receive feedback, and connect what they have studied with the responsibilities of patient care. Research on nursing education has found that students value these learning experiences and that support within the clinical setting shapes how they experience a placement (Cant et al., 2021; Moroney et al., 2022).
For someone considering a career change, it helps to ask specific questions about this part of a program: What will clinical days involve? How will instructors guide students? What happens when a student needs more practice? The answers can help turn a distant career goal into a path they can begin to picture.
The people who helped Janett keep going
Janett has spoken warmly about the people who supported her. She thanked the Merit team and singled out Professor Richard, saying his encouragement played a meaningful role in her determination and success.
“I’m especially grateful to Professor Richard and the entire Merit team for believing in me and supporting me throughout this journey,” she wrote.
That gratitude is part of what makes Janett’s story her own. She earned her result through hard work, and she remembers the people who helped her continue when the work felt difficult.
Support matters after graduation, too. Studies of new nurses describe the adjustment to professional practice as a period of continued learning. Feeling supported and entering a welcoming workplace can help graduates navigate new responsibilities (Hampton et al., 2021; Masso et al., 2022).
Preparing for the next chapter
Merit offers Job Placement Assistance to support students as they prepare to enter the workforce. According to the institute, that assistance includes résumé guidance, interview preparation, job readiness training, and career resources after graduation. For students moving into healthcare from another field, these services can help them explain both their new nursing education and the experience they already bring.
Janett now works at 1st@Mericare. She has not said whether she used Merit’s Job Placement Assistance to find that position, and every graduate’s job search will be different. Her experience does show a real step beyond the classroom and the licensing exam: she continued forward into her nursing career.
Janett hopes that sharing her story will help someone else keep going. “If sharing my experience can give another student hope, confidence, and the motivation to keep going when things get difficult,” she wrote, she would be happy to tell it.
To every aspiring nurse facing a hard week of classes or preparing for the NCLEX: Janett’s journey is a reminder that doubt can be part of the process without having the final word. She gave herself a second chance, stayed with her goal, and is proud of where it has taken her.
References
Cant, R., Ryan, C., Hughes, L., Luders, E., & Cooper, S. (2021). What helps, what hinders? Undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of clinical placements based on a thematic synthesis of literature. SAGE Open Nursing, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608211035845
Hampton, K. B., Smeltzer, S. C., & Ross, J. G. (2021). The transition from nursing student to practicing nurse: An integrative review of transition to practice programs. Nurse Education in Practice, 52, 103031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103031
Masso, M., Sim, J., Halcomb, E., & Thompson, C. (2022). Practice readiness of new graduate nurses and factors influencing practice readiness: A scoping review of reviews. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 129, 104208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104208
Moroney, T., Gerdtz, M., Brockenshire, N., Maude, P., Weller-Newton, J., Hatcher, D., Molloy, L., Williamson, M., Woodward-Kron, R., & Molloy, E. (2022). Exploring the contribution of clinical placement to student learning: A sequential mixed methods study. Nurse Education Today, 113, 105379.
