Loading...
Why Start in Med Surg: Virtual Alumni Chat with Jessica Jesnes and Kate Manalastas
by
Thu, Mar 12, 2026
3 PM – 4 PM EDT (GMT-4)
Online Event
0
Registered
Details
A little bit about Jess "I began at Binghamton in 2020 as a direct admit into the traditional nursing program and graduated in 2024. After completing my capstone on a med tele floor at Cayuga Medical Center, I realized the value of starting my career on a general med surg floor. I took my NCLEX in August and soon after, I began my job search with clear non-negotiables: proximity to home, unionization, pay goals, and safe patient ratios. I quickly learned starting off on a more generalized floor would allow me to more easily find a job which met all these requirements. I accepted a position at Westchester Medical Center, a level one trauma center, on 5N, one of the hospital's med surg units. As the hospital’s designated bariatric surgery unit and the only unit certified to perform peritoneal dialysis across med-surg, step-down, and ICU, 5N has provided broad clinical exposure, advanced training, and strong skill development. Starting on a general med-surg floor gave me a solid foundation, the opportunity for multiple certifications, and the confidence to grow in any direction in my nursing career."
About Kate "I graduated Decker in May of 2024! While at Binghamton, I was the President of the Nursing Student Association, and a Decker Peer Advisor/Student Ambassador!
Since Binghamton, I have working as a RN at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC! Starting off as a new grad RN, I worked on a medical-surgical floor (primarily medicine) for about a year and a half. In December 2025, I started a new position as an ICU RN in Lenox Hill’s cardiac ICU (CCU) and surgical ICU (they’re combined!)"