FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Melissa Marascia says she's a caring and compassionate person. That's what first drew her to the nursing profession.

After seeing droves of nurses leave the field in recent years, she knew it was her call to action.

“People have kind of lost that real feeling for wanting to take care of patients, and that’s what I want to give back, is taking care of people," Marascia said. 

When Marascia was looking to obtain her certification in nursing, she wanted a program that would give her real and practical experience, not just textbooks.

That's why the nursing program at Fayetteville Technical Community College was a natural fit.

After unveiling its new nursing facility at the end of 2022, students went to work in their simulation labs outfitted with responsive mannequins that present real-life situations.

“It definitely helps put it together from textbook, to this, to seeing it real life," Marascia said. "So it definitely helps with the connection.” 

An experience like this was unimaginable for many nursing students.

Just ask Marascia’s instructor, Kristen Kaiafas, a graduate of this very program in 2007.

“To now palpate that pulse, see the rise and fall of the chest. One of the simulation mannequins, the eyes turn yellow, the eyes turn blood shot," Kaiafas said. "You can have a blown pupil so they can see it before they’re in practice so they’re quicker to recognize those changes.” 

Kaiafas says the new interactive class sessions have already created a buzz around campus.

She hopes this, in turn, helps them put more nurses into the field.

But while there is a shortage, she emphasizes that they value quality over quantity.

“It matters when it’s our loved ones at the bedside. It matters when it’s our community at the beside," Kaiafas said. "So making sure that we reach them there’s a standard, a procedure, which is why we do the hands-on practice like this. So that in a controlled environment, if they make any mistakes, we’re able to improve on it, practice more before we’re at the bed side and those mistakes don’t cost lives.” 

For Marascia, what she’s learned in her first year of nursing will go a long way in her ultimate mission.

“I think about all the people I see in the ER, and that’s someone’s mom, someone’s dad, someone’s grandparents," Marascia said. "If I can care for them the way I would want my family to be cared for, that’s what’s most important.”