My Professional Origin Story: Imelda Reyes

UNLV Nursing’s Dean Imelda Reyes shares a look into her professional journey ahead of her Dec. 4 talk.

woman in black sweater poses against wall outside

Imelda Reyes, interim dean for UNLV’s School of Nursing, was drawn to healthcare after recognizing the need for Spanish-speaking providers. (Josh Hawkins/UNLV)

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Imelda Reyes, interim dean of the UNLV School of Nursing, will share her professional journey during the second installment of the Graduate College’s My Professional Origin Story speaker series at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in the Barrick Museum of Art Auditorium. The event is open to the entire UNLV community and will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

Ahead of the event, Reyes provides a glimpse into her journey below.

What are a few of the defining moments of your educational journey?

There was a time when I doubted pursuing my nursing degree. In my last semester of nursing school, I realized that direct patient care was not my priority. I had double majored in nursing and biology with the hopes of applying to medical school, but that career was also not the best choice.

So, I applied to the University of Michigan for my Master of Public Health in health management and policy. I was still interested in health, just from a different angle.

I really enjoyed my courses; and, while in my last year, I decided to join the Navy as a health care administrator. After five years, I realized that I was ready to be a nurse and thought the nurse practitioner role would suit me best. After five years of working full-time as a nurse practitioner, I went back to school for my Doctor of Nursing Practice with the hopes of teaching.