Name: Tracy Clermont
Age: 46
Major: Nursing
Where are you from? I’m from Canada, but I live in Portsmouth.
What brought you to the area? What do you think of it?
I liked the nursing program and they took all of my old credits, so I didn’t have to take anything over again.
What is it like to commute?
It’s tough. The weather has kept me from getting to class on time. The highway is nice to drive on, but it’s time consuming and sometimes scary.
What would you do to make life better for the USM student?
The registration process needs major improvement. I’ve never seen anything like having to stay up all night and the hassles of getting into the system here.
Do you like the nursing program?
I love it. It’s really above other schools. Just from talking to people in other schools; they don’t cover the same scope as we do here. Also there’s a big difference between the two-year program and the BA program in nursing. We have a much broader scope.
What kind of nurse do you want to be?
I can’t decide, because I’ve liked everything I’ve done in the program. We have to experience every kind of nursing. I’m kind of attracted to the ER, just because I’ve worked in one.
Why did you take so much time off from college?
Two reasons: I became a single mother with two children, and illness.
What made you come back?
I’ve been trying to get my BA forever. My number one reason is that I want a degree. And I love medicine. It’s an exciting career.
What were you doing in the hospital before?
I did several things. I worked as a nursing assistant. They can do everything except give medications, basically. And I was a unit coordinator. I coordinated all the central activity in the unit. I’ve also been an EMT.
What do you think of the current political situation in our country?
Because I’m Canadian I can’t vote; so I can’t really get involved too much with the political system. If I could vote, I’d be a Democrat, so that says a lot. I think [Bush] is a president who acts without much integrity. His mannerism seems very unethical and he has no regard for human suffering.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Non-personalized service. How technology has taken away
personal service.