From Martial Arts to Nursing: Meet Josh Fowles, Learner Ambassador

Josh Fowles is currently in his fourth semester at Nightingale College. Not only can you see him in our Compassion commercial, but Josh is one of the Learner Ambassadors. As a learner ambassador, Josh is responsible for representing his cohort through discussing issues revolved around learner interests and needs, planning learner events, and participating on the Academic Program Advisory Board.

What level are you currently in?
I am currently in my fourth semester.

What inspired you to become an RN?
Being an accident prone boy I had a lot of experience on the receiving end of good nurses and I would like to provide that great care for someone in the future.

What type of nurse do you hope to be? 
I am currently fascinated with ICU nursing. I have enjoyed close interactions the nurses have with the critically ill.

Why did you want to become a Learner Ambassador?
I like to help people. I thought that I could offer my help to my entire cohort by becoming the Ambassador.

As a Learner Ambassador, what are your favorite parts of the position?
I enjoy the opportunities I have to represent the needs and desires of the cohort to the director of the ADN program.

Nursing school is indeed difficult. What tips can you provide that have helped you along your journey in nursing school?
Make a calendar with everything on it. Everything from your personal life, your family life, your work life, and of course your school life. Schedule the time you have to work on specific assignments, tasks, quizzes, etc. then follow the schedule. I always schedule some brain relaxing time in between assignments. This is usually about 30 minutes. I can use this time to finish in case I did not plan enough time for the activity, but usually it lets me de-stress and get ready to focus on the next task. If you schedule every minute of your day then it is much easier to follow.

What is your advice for those currently in nursing school and those that want to attend nursing school?
Ask questions, seek answers, and then apply it to something.

So far, you have experienced the many trials that come along with nursing school. What has been your most difficult challenge thus far?
There are still parts of the nursing world that feel only women can be nurses. I had a set of clinicals in one of those units where every nurse there kept telling me I did not belong, not just on their unit, but not in nursing. I had to constantly remind myself why I wanted to be nurse and at times I had to rely on positive feedback from my peers and eventually I was able to ignore the sexist negativity that I was receiving.

My most difficult course has been pharmacology. There are no short cuts. Study and memorize and try to apply it. That is the only way to learn all those drugs.

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
I see myself in either one of two places. I will either be an ICU charge nurse, or I will be in school working on my Masters. Possibly both.

If you weren’t interested in becoming an RN, what would you be doing?
I would be teaching the Martial Arts. I love being a Certified Black Belt Instructor.

What are 3 characteristics a nurse should possess?
Honesty (to self and others), Compassion, and Self-Motivation.

Share anything else you would like people to know about you!
I love my family! My wife and I have been married for 10 years and have 4 children with one on the way due in June. Thankfully after graduation. I love the outdoors! Hiking, hunting, shooting, fishing, camping, four wheeling, rock climbing (still learning), playing sports like baseball and football. I also like board games Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Alhambra, and especially strategy games like Risk, Monopoly, and Chess. I have three movies that I can watch almost endlessly: A Knight’s Tale, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and Sweet Home Alabama (with my wife).