Bergen Community College

Bergen Community College student Austin Jacobson is studying nursing to pursue a career as a nurse.

“I chose Bergen because of the nursing program’s high NCLEX exam pass rate and its proximity to my home,” said Jacobson who holds a B.A. in anthropology from William Paterson University.

Jacobson, of Bloomingdale, said he had a friend who studied acting at Bergen, and would invite Jacobson and friends to various plays at the College. “While waiting for the theater doors to open, I explored the campus and found that I enjoyed the close campus buildings and its spacious outdoors,” said Jacobson.

Currently in Bergen’s nursing program, Jacobson described that the coursework can be difficult. However, help from his professors and peers make a positive difference. “I found that creating study groups with classmates can help ease the stress,” said Jacobson. “Having each person take notes and review with each other allows a collaborative effort that decreases the workload.”

He discussed how these study groups provide a safe space where the students can tell jokes and push each other through tough times.

“The resources from Bergen have been extremely helpful in understanding the concepts I learned in class and have prepared me for the nursing workforce that I will join in the future,” he said.

During his nursing coursework, Jacobson has practiced his nursing skills through practical hands-on training with recording vital signs, catheter insertion, tube feeding, and medication administration. “Performing these skills in the Simulation Lab within the Health Professions Building and working with the mannequins that can blink, talk, and react to different scenarios has helped prepare me for working with real patients,” said Jacobson. He describes how Bergen professors administer skills tests to his classmates and him to ensure that tasks are performed without issue or harm to the patient.

“The clinical rotation provided by Bergen’s nursing department has been excellent in preparing me for my career,” said Jacobson. During his clinical rotation, Jacobson has worked with real patients and medical professionals at Genesis Maple Glen in Fairlawn and Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. “Through asking questions, assisting in procedures, and exploring the facility, the College has prepared me for what working as a nurse is like,” said Jacobson who has made nursing care plans and performed interviews with assigned patients. “These tools have helped me understand my diverse patient population, their reason for being admitted, and also the reasoning for the treatments I help provide and their benefits,” he said.

Jacobson expects to graduate from Bergen in 2025.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

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