Liz Colosimo, RN

It all started Way Back when...

Hi. I’m Liz Colosimo and I am a Personal Care Aide (PCA) training program curriculum developer, instructor and consultant. I am the creator of the PCA program I teach here in Nevada and wherever else duty calls. I want to share with you a bit about my background, my journey, and my interest in the PCA industry.

I took the long road to a good education and a career. A fumbling high school graduate only 17 years old, I knew I wanted more than what I could foresee ahead of me. I was self-supporting, had little guidance, and even less money. I decided, almost on a whim, to look into nursing school. I applied to and was accepted into a one-year practical nursing program. There, I discovered I had a knack for patient care and that job opportunities were plentiful. Upon licensure (LPN) I found a position that I loved in the kidney dialysis unit of a community hospital. What I liked best about the job was the close and ongoing contact I had with patients. I was able to build relationships and witness, everyday, the impact I had on each patient’s wellbeing.

After a few years of practical nursing, I chose to return to academia to earn my RN. I enrolled in a small school in Harlem, in New York City. I saw and experienced things I otherwise could not have imagined. I was helping the most needy of the needy.

Then, with a little experience under my belt and a little cash in my pocket, I went back to school again - this time to a traditional college program - to work toward a degree in Health and Hospital Administration. A long career in nursing, health and education followed.

One day it occurred to me that there was still a big gap in my skill set. I felt compelled to make an even greater impact on the health and welfare of patients.

So yes, I went back to school again...serious school...law school! Law study provided ‘other’ perspectives on health care...patient rights, ethics, elder abuse, etc. After many years of law practice I turned my attention to teaching health law, nursing and a variety of other health and law related subjects.

Ultimately, I grew wary of our health care delivery and distribution system. I wondered if I could somehow combine my various interests and experiences to create a pathway that would better meet the needs of our least served citizens.  Equipped with the knowledge that worth-while education had to have a direct correlation to job opportunity in a well documented area of greatest need, I combed employment statistics to see where the job market was hottest and where barriers to entry were not too onerous.

Here are the disturbing facts I discovered:

It’s a fact...senior citizens are the single largest and fastest growing demographic in our nation. With the launch of new federal government healthcare initiatives and the drive to find sources of support so that seniors can remain in their homes rather than be institutionalized, caregivers are in growing demand and in very short supply.

It’s a fact…unemployment/underemployment, amongst adults with limited academic preparation, is high.

Hence, my transition from nurse-attorney to Personal Care Aide program designer, instructor and consultant. In this arena I can serve both the health care needs of our least served, the homebound elderly and disabled, and provide employment opportunities to eager, ethical adults who want meaningful education and employment.

I believe the path to career satisfaction and opportunity starts, sometimes, with small humble steps. I started out in a ‘neighborhood’ in the east Bronx... went to school in Harlem...slowly worked my way up the career ladder. Today I am happy with and proud of my work and the ongoing contribution I make to the health care community.

Please join me in my effort to provide opportunity for PCA education and professional recognition of caregivers nation-wide. Contact me at LColosimo2016@gmail.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-colosimo-a727b791.

Liz

Have confidence that you can lead your life in a positive direction.

Just do it!