SANFORD - Leslie Moshfegh says that the Central Carolina Community College nursing program was "the most challenging and rewarding educational journey that I have experienced."

Moshfegh, of Sanford, is a Registered Nurse working in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit at Cape Fear Valley Hospital.

"The instructors and curriculum at CCCC prepared me for my career and instilled a personal drive for a lifetime of learning," said Moshfegh, who graduated from the college's Associate Degree Nursing program in May 2011.

For those who are looking for a rewarding, yet challenging, career, nursing may be just the answer.

Central Carolina Community College offers both Practical Nursing and Associate Degree Nursing programs.

"Nursing is a profession that's open to both genders, that has many opportunities for job employment in many places and locations," said Linda Blair, the second-year course coordinator for ADN (Associate Degree Nursing). "The opportunity for job advancement is there. It's not a stagnant profession.

"There are new skills, there are new diseases and new challenges every single day," she said. "You go home tired and exhausted, but you go home satisfied that you've done something for someone that no one else could possibly do."

Barbara Campbell, CCCC's interim nursing department chair, also talks about how rewarding the nursing profession can be. "The job day-to-day can be tiring, but it's so rewarding as a career, because you touch and change lives every day," said Campbell.

Moshfegh said that she has found a career in which she will never be bored and will always be challenged. "This career is fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging and each shift brings a new adventure," she said.

Besides the work in hospitals and doctors' offices, nurses also are needed in a variety of other areas such as skilled living facilities, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities and home health.

Both Campbell and Blair point out that the nursing program is not easy - and for good reason. "I think the program is difficult for a reason. It's because we deal with individuals and we want to make certain the people that take care of them are safe and they give good, effective care for positive outcomes," said Blair.

"You're teaching them to use clinical judgment," said Campbell. "Every patient you encounter is unique."

Current ADN students Denise Byrd, of Linden, and Brittany Phillips, of Sanford, talk about the rewards of nursing.

"For me, it's very rewarding," said Byrd, who talked about the responsibility for caring for another person's life. "I show them that they matter and they're important. ... If you have passion, desire, and you strive to be the best you can be, nursing school is for you."

"I enjoy the reward of being able to impact someone else," said Phillips.

The college is hosting a nursing information session on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Lett Hall, Nursing Lab (Room 403) on CCCC's Lee County Campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. No appointment is needed.

The Associate Degree Nursing program is five semesters or more, while the Practical Nursing program can be completed in three semesters. "The students can come in and be working within a year," says Campbell.

Registration for the Associate Degree Nursing program on the Lee Campus in Sanford and for the Practical Nursing program on the Chatham Campus in Pittsboro will take place in time for fall.

Those who wish to be considered for the Practical Nursing program on the Harnett Campus in Lillington beginning in January can begin the consideration process from Nov. 24-Dec. 12. Individuals who wish to be considered can pick up a nursing consideration application, health form, criminal background check and drug testing forms from nursing counselors on the Sanford, Pittsboro or Lillington campuses.

CCCC nursing program graduates have met the educational competencies set by the college and defined by the National League for Nursing, the Nursing Practice Act of North Carolina, and the Institute of Medicine. Graduates meet the requirements to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination.

For more information on the CCCC nursing programs, contact Barbara Campbell, CCCC's interim nursing department chair, at 919-718-7390 or bcampbell@cccc.edu, or Teresa Mangum, CCCC admissions specialist, at 919-718-7313 or tmangum@cccc.edu. To learn more about the CCCC nursing program, visit the college website at www.cccc.edu.