After working for nine years as a certified nursing assistant, Amanda Kimball had a good understanding of what it would take to earn her degree in nursing and be successful in the profession.
In 2007, she started working as a CNA at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport after leaving a position at a large health care center in Arizona. At the same time, she began taking prerequisites at Oregon Coast Community College. In 2009, she was accepted into nursing school at the community college.
“It was a busy time,” recalled Kimball. “Not only was I working and going to school, but I had babies in both 2007 and 2009. It took a lot of work to balance everything.”
Kimball credited Samaritan for giving her flexibility in her work schedule to manage all her responsibilities. She’s also grateful for Samaritan’s tuition assistance program.
“I was working half time back then and Samaritan reimbursed me for 50% of my educational costs,” said Kimball. “Nursing school is expensive and the education reimbursement was a big help.”
When Kimball graduated in 2011, she was immediately hired into a new grad nursing position in the surgery department at the Newport hospital. In 2013, she and her husband, Andrew, relocated to the mid-Willamette Valley where they both continue to work at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, he in Quality Resources and she as a full-time charge nurse.
“I loved my job in Newport, but my husband’s education and career led us to Corvallis in 2013,” she said.
There, she started working in labor and delivery, was certified in inpatient obstetrics in 2018 and completed her bachelor of science in nursing through Western Governors University in 2019, again using the generous tuition reimbursement.
Although she and Andrew miss living on the coast, they have enjoyed the more centralized location of the valley for short drives to the coast, or to the snow in the Cascades or to Portland.
“We also enjoy our health benefits and use our wellness dollars to CrossFit as a family,” she said.
Looking for a new job? From housekeeping to nursing and accounting to managing, there are a lot of opportunities to explore at Samaritan Health Services.
