Current Stanford Nurse and ex-teacher Chris Tofanelli recently returned to Amador to give presentations to the Bio-Med classes on being a nurse. He discussed different kinds of nursing, the education they required, and what they entail for all students considering a career in the medical field.

“The Biomedical class is a great springboard for diving into anything medical. The courses in the program are key for a strong foundation in medicine. In addition, having the exposure and experience in this program is wonderful and unlike anything else being offered,” said Tofanelli.

Tofanelli was originally a math teacher here at Amador. After doing some volunteer work and getting to see what nurses do, he quickly enrolled in night school to earn a nursing degree. 

“I switched from teaching to nursing for a variety of reasons. I always wanted to get into medicine, but was daunted by the long schooling required of medical school. I started volunteering in a local ER and got to observe what the nurses were doing,” said Tofanelli.

When Tofanelli asked the class who was considering a nursing career, not many hands went up. Most students interested in a prospective medical career tend to want to be a doctor, or a surgeon. But Tofanelli assures that nursing can be an even more rewarding career.

“There are so many things fulfilling about this career. You get a chance to help people and see them come in with a disease process and when they are able to leave the hospital better than when they came – there is no greater sense of accomplishment,” said Tofanelli.

Similar to teaching, nursing is the type of career where Tofanelli gets to work closely with people. Whether it’s a student or a patient, he’s always ready to help.

“Nurses are the ones at the bedside, being hands-on, and spending the most time with patients. To me nursing is a perfect mix of critical thinking, science, and compassion,” said Tofanelli.

Toffanells’ nursing expertise provided students with an in-depth look at exactly what they would be getting into in the medical field.

“It was quite interesting since he didn’t just explain what his job is, but also what paths you can take if you want a similar job. Also, he went over specific examples from his experiences working as a nurse, which was pretty insightful,” said Aditya Chudasama (‘23).