About
Nick Pacella was the first nursing ROTC cadet to graduate from Carroll College (class of 2004).
Nick Pacella was already a veteran when he came to Carroll, with a three-year tour in the Army behind him. While stationed in Fort Hood, Nick was in a serious car wreck, breaking both legs and needing the Jaws of Life to cut him from the vehicle. During his long hospital stay following the accident, Nick was inspired by the nurses who cared for him and decided to pursue nursing. Carroll was his top choice. During Nick’s years at Carroll, he was a standout student and a mentor to other cadets in Carroll’s small ROTC unit. Nick was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation and has spent the last 25 years serving his country, through multiple deployments at home and abroad. In Nick’s words:
It’s been a crazy journey since 2004, I have literally circled the globe more than once and had the privilege of providing care on 3 continents. As busy as I was, my time at Carroll was truly a blessing and something to look back on with such joy.
Q and A with Nick Pacella
What is your current position and how did Carroll prepare you for your career?
Current position: Assistant Deputy Commander for Nursing at Evans Army Community Hospital.
What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the nursing (and ROTC) program that you found most useful in your career?
Nursing - The value of seeing people as people and truly caring, and a solid foundation rooted in science. ROTC - critical thinking, the tenacity to not give up, and the value of being a leader worth following.
What skills have you found most useful in your professional life? Do you have advice on how current students can cultivate these skills?
Listening and the ability to truly understand is a skill that will serve you anytime, anywhere, and in any location - never forget that! But, when the time for action comes, do not hesitate or waver - indecisiveness will sow fear among your team. If you’re wrong admit it, learn from it and move on. Humility mixed with a willingness to try is the best way to cultivate this.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the nursing profession?
Don’t be afraid to volunteer, seek out new experiences, surround yourself with the smartest people and they will make you better, and take care of each other… health care is a team sport and can be overwhelming if you don’t have a trusted crew who is always there for you. The things you will see in health care can challenge you to the core, I have seen more people die than is likely healthy but a hardship shared is easier to process with people who understand what you’ve been through.
What are the current or upcoming challenges in your area of nursing?
Bureaucracy… it’s a struggle to not get lost if caring for the medical record instead of the patient, treating the algorithm and practice guideline instead of applying a personal treatment.
What brings you joy?
It may seem a bit cliché, but my faith truly has sustained me through the ups and downs so faith brings me joy, and a close second is my wife and kids! Kellie is and will always be my best friend and I am lucky enough to have really cool kids who still like to hang out with me.
In the News
Nick earned his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2015. Read more about his reflections and journey since that time.
