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MAIMUNA JATTA MSN

STUDENT

When Maimuna Jatta was a child growing up in Gambia, Africa, she
unfortunately became quite familiar with what it was like to spend
time in a hospital. “I got malaria at least one week of every school year
until about seventh grade,” she says. Her experiences with the “wonderful
nurses” who took care of her and comforted her parents during such times
influenced her path. She became a Red Cross volunteer as soon as she
was old enough and went straight into nursing school as soon as she
graduated high school.

Experience in a teaching hospital

After nursing school, Maimuna gained experience in OBGYN at the
Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Gambia. She soon switched to the
medical-surgical unit, before moving to the United States by way of Iowa
in 2011. Her first stop was Grand View University, where she earned a
BSN in 2013. Thereafter, Maimuna joined Broadlawns Medical Center, a
community hospital, as a staff nurse.
But life led Maimuna to move to Virginia, where she had family and
friends. “I was looking for a great opportunity in a teaching hospital, ideally
a Magnet facility, where I could learn and grow,” she says. She joined
Carilion Roanoke Hospital in July 2015 as a clinical team lead. “I have a lot
of floor responsibilities and some management duties as well,” she says.
“The unit is like an acute care unit and was new when I joined. It’s been
exciting to see how it has grown into a full-sized unit. I love working here
and the sense of community throughout the hospital.”
Time for an MSN

Maimuna knew when she completed the BSN that she wasn’t done with
school. “I fell in love with nursing as soon as I started my career,” she
says. “I know the impact you can have as a nurse and I’d like to at least
get a master’s degree.” After browsing many programs, she learned about
American Sentinel from her best friend, also an American Sentinel student.
She enrolled in the MSN in 2015. “This is one program that gave me the
opportunity to study both public health and nursing through the infection
prevention and control specialization. That’s very appealing to me because
of my background working in public health back in Gambia. This really is
the perfect curriculum for my goals and the fact that it is online and I can
continue to work full time is a bonus.”

www.americansentinel.edu

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