When Jeian Miguel started high school, she never imagined that she would become a registered nurse. Her plan was set: study forensic science, go to medical school, and become a medical examiner one day.
“I loved Criminal Minds and CSI,” Jeian said. “I took an anatomy and physiology course in high school and there was a muscular cystic exam I completely bombed,”
Her teacher offered her and the rest of the class extra credit so they could all pass, giving them some options, including writing a paper or touring a hospital. Little did she know that this specific hospital visit would change everything.
“My mom was a NICU nurse for [almost] 30 years at that point,” she explained. “I went to work with her that night and got to see all the little blood pressure cuffs for the babies and all the equipment they use to keep their lives going, and it was from then on that I started looking more into nursing and what nursing looks like for other populations, and now I’m here.”
While TV shows pushed her towards a career in healthcare, she credits her mom and that one extra credit assignment to lead her to nursing.
Finding the Right Fit
After high school. Jeian started college during the height of COVID-19, deciding to stay local in the Valley. Her college career began at a four-year university, but she quickly realized it was not the right environment for her.
“It was a great starting point for me, but I realized the environment wasn’t [completely] healthy for me,” she recalls. “The classes were a little too big, and the professors were [more focused on numbers] than on individual growth for students. I wanted a more hands-on, personal learning experience.”
That’s when she found Arizona College of Nursing, specifically the Phoenix campus.
The smaller class sizes, the accessible professors, and the guaranteed support made all the difference, checking many of the boxes that she always wanted in a college.
“My professors offered their emails, their hours, and they would guarantee a 24-hour turnaround time. The resources available and the professors available made a huge difference in my learning career.”
At Arizona College of Nursing, she also found a sense of community that had been missing from her previous school.
“When I came here, it was a mixed population of students. We had people in their second careers, whether it was in healthcare initially or not, and some fresh out of high school,” she said.
Mentorship and Support
One professor during Jeian’s time at Arizona College of Nursing stood out above all: Professor Jillian Lewis.
“She was by far one of the most outstanding instructors I’ve ever had. She was an ER nurse for years, traveled overseas to practice, and was also one of the nurses who unfortunately burnt out from COVID,” she said. “She really pushed us, supported us, and helped us to find our own answers.”
Jeian noted that Professor Lewis taught her students how to be self-sustained as nursing students.
“There was one point in time in my career here at Arizona College where I had some life issues going on that impacted my academic performance… and Professor Lewis advocated for me.”
That level of mentorship carried through [to] her clinical rotations as well.
“My [final] clinical instructor wrote something so uplifting [on my final evaluation], and it still sticks with me to this day. She wrote, ‘I can’t wait to be your colleague instead of your instructor.’ That moment gave me the push I needed to finish, get over this senioritis, and finally join the ranks of this amazing profession.”
Building Confidence as an RN
Nursing school was not always easy for Jeian. There were plenty of long days, missed life events, and tough exams. However, there were also friendships, laughter, and a sense of purpose.
“I built a strong community here, not only in my own semester, but in other semesters too,” she said. For Jeian, the Student Nurses Association was a huge part of that.
During her time in the Student Nurses Association, she was even part of the mentorship program they had, and continues to touch base with her mentee, a student who is now in her ninth semester.
She also found the Learning Resource Center (LRC) and the ability to take multiple practice exams with NCLEX-style questions using ATI, our comprehensive learning resource, invaluable.
“We were able to use the study rooms, the whiteboard markers and erasers, the printers of course, and then our little library. Sometimes we forget how useful a hardcover textbook is compared to an e-textbook. So having all of that available just supplemented my learning.”
As for ATI resources, Jeian claims she used pretty much all of them. From the practice tests to dynamic quizzing, the textbooks that were given to us at the beginning of core; they were all extremely helpful to her nursing journey. Jeian even shared that she thought the ATI exams were tougher than the NCLEX.
“In a way it overprepared you to make you really shoot for the stars. That’s how I passed the NCLEX in 85 questions.”
And thanks to the school’s rewards program, her hard work literally paid off.
“I was able to push past the senioritis. I graduated, took my final… and passed the NCLEX. Suddenly, I had a few thousand dollars in my bank account,” she shared.
Life After Graduation
There were a lot of late nights, a lot of early mornings, sometimes back-to-back, but Jeian wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Today, Jeian is at the Arizona Burn Center, living her dream as a nurse. She just celebrated 2 years with them after starting as a tech, moving to become a nurse extern, and now becoming a full-time nurse.
“My lovely preceptors have been the most supportive, most encouraging people I’ve ever had in any of my careers. It’s just a great environment, and to go from a supportive [college] to another supportive place, I can finally spread my wings and practice on my own.
Reflecting on her journey from forensic dreams to burn care, she knows that she is where she is meant to be.
“Nursing was a big switch from forensic science, where [I wanted to work with] patients without a pulse. Now I get to support people at their lowest and see them get to a better point.”
For Jeian, getting to help people heal and walk out of the hospital after going through major, life-changing injuries is one of the most fulfilling things in the world.
Advice to Future Nurses
Looking back on her journey to nursing, Jeian believes finding the right fit for a school can make or break your passion for nursing. She shared that she is also a strong advocate for finding your people and finding your sense of community.
“It was different finding community [at Arizona College of Nursing]. We were all here to become nurses and [achieve] our goals.
For those standing at the beginning of their nursing journey, she has one final message:
“My biggest piece of advice for people considering going into nursing school is to do it. Nursing school is a long, tough journey, but worth it.”
Start Your Future in Nursing Today
If you’re considering a career as a registered nurse (RN), Arizona College of Nursing is here to help you pursue your dream. Our BSN program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 3 years or less with qualifying transfer credits. We’ve helped hundreds of students to earn a BSN degree and enter the nursing profession – and we’re ready to support you on your path to becoming an RN.
Why Choose Arizona College of Nursing?
- Earn a BSN degree in 3 years or less with eligible transfer credits
- Campus locations throughout the US
- Night classes for general education courses
- Hybrid Online/In-Person format for general education classes
- Nursing education is all we do
- CCNE-Accredited Program*
- NCLEX-RN success coaches and exam preparation class
- Financial aid available to those who qualify
Discover Your Path to a Career in Nursing
Information in this post is accurate as of February 23, 2026.
*The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/). All Arizona College of Nursing and Arizona College campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (https://www.abhes.org/), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency.