When a person stays in the same field for over 30 years, it’s safe to bet that it’s their passion. And for Rowan College at Burlington County paramedic science instructor Tracy Iglesias, that passion is EMS, and her background is extensive.
Her background, passion and expertise recently culminated in earning Nurse of the Year from the 2021 National Conference on EMS.
Here’s how it happened. Iglesias earned her nursing degree in 1989 and quickly took off from there. After 10 years of nursing practice in an ICU, she learned about flight nurses, who provide medical care to patients during air transport. From there, she delved into EMS and obtained her MICN (Mobile Intensive Care Nurse – equivalent to paramedic) in 1999.
“I completely fell in love with EMS,” Iglesias shared. “From 1999 onward, I worked as a nurse at Cooper's Level 1 Trauma Center and worked as a paramedic for Capital Health. In January 2011, I began working as a Flight Nurse for Cooper Hospital, where I was able to use my expertise from both fields. Not long afterward, I began teaching various classes and really felt a purpose in teaching.”
That’s when Iglesias decided to study Nursing Leadership and Education, eventually earning her master’s degree from Wilmington University before landing at RCBC.
“I was given an opportunity to start helping in the paramedic sciences program about 18 months ago,” Iglesias said. “I was really excited. My heart is in EMS, but my passion is teaching. From there, I became an adjunct in the department. I just love it. Every member of the department is really amazing, and they complement each other in ways that make for a dynamic team. The program just had a great accreditation review! There's a very positive culture and learning environment at RCBC. Seeing the students blossom...how much they've learned over the last semester...is truly remarkable.”
Iglesias’ primary goal as an instructor is to impart the importance of lifelong learning to her students.
“To be a good clinician for patients, we have to continually be learning, working on our weaknesses and stretching ourselves,” Iglesias said. “It's also important that students know that I want them to be proficient in clinical skills, but my overarching goal is that they become good critical thinkers, so they can make sound clinical decisions with good patient outcomes.”
Iglesias’ commitment to lifelong learning has certainly paid off, with the award from the 2021 National Conference on EMS in November.
“It was quite an honor, especially since I just recently started full time as a faculty member at RCBC,” Iglesias said.
When she’s not busy inspiring future generations of paramedic professionals, Iglesias enjoys traveling. She also has two grown children out of the house and two teenagers at home. She spends most of her free time making memories with them before they leave the nest. That can range from swimming with Stingrays in Antiqua (pre-Covid) to playing Mario Party at home.
To learn more about RCBC’s paramedic program, visit rcbc.edu/paramedic.
