Health Sciences

Brittany Buchanan

Nursing Student

High School: Magna Vista ('03)

Career & Technical Ed. Program Studied: Nutrition & Wellness

Additional Studies/Training: UVA School of Nursing

A Clear Path to a Nursing Career

“I’ve always been interested in medicine,” says Brittany Buchanan. “For two years in high school, I was a candy striper at Martinsville Memorial Hospital.”

Her interests in healthcare led her to choose Nutrition & Wellness, a Family & Consumer Sciences course, CTE studies at Magna Vista High School. “I also did a job shadow with a PA [physician’s assistant] in a private practice. I went around with the PA with all of her patients and observed her procedures and patient assessments. After that job shadowing, I applied to UVA nursing school.”

In the midst of her nursing studies at UVA, Brittany had a unique opportunity to apply her medical skills on a trip to South Africa with the international organization Nursing Students Without Borders, helping in villages and daycare centers.

After her college studies, she’s looking forward to the choices offered by her career. “There are so many opportunities in nursing. I could do pediatrics or cancer… I could work in a hospital, in a school, or even in a factory. There’s just a lot of flexibility in nursing.”