Two Perspectives: Juggling Nursing and Motherhood

Zaneta Costantino, Nursing Student

For the last 17 years, Zaneta Costantino was focused on being a dedicated wife, mother and perfecting her craft as a hairstylist. Once the pandemic hit, sweeping lockdowns quickly followed, leaving Costantino out of work, pondering her next steps.

After much deliberation, Costantino made the decision to further her education and pursue a career in nursing through the DCTS Practical Nursing Program.

“I love to nurture my children, which correlates to being a nurse. I have a passion for helping and taking care of people, so nursing seemed like the next obvious step for me,” said Costantino.

The accelerated program appeared to check all of Costantino’s boxes. Constantino lives nearby the Practical Nursing Program’s campus in Delaware County, Pa., making it easier for her to juggle motherhood and commuting to and from school.

“The nice thing about this program is, once it is complete, is that you can take the licensure exam and start working immediately. It is an amazing opportunity to get your career started,” said Costantino.

When she began the program in the fall of 2022, Costantino was struggling to keep up with the pace of the program. Coming into the program with no prior healthcare experience, Costantino was struggling to grasp the medical terminology and other concepts covered in the first two levels.

On top of that, Costantino was experiencing a lot of guilt and remorse for spending time away from her family and missing early moments of her son’s life. When Costantino began the program, her son, Daniel, was only 7-months-old.

“I was studying five days a week, and I felt like I was neglecting my family. It was really tough and emotional, because you realize how much time you are spending away from them,” said Costantino.

By the third level, things started to let up and Costantino’s workload had decreased. As new material came in, Costantino was able to grasp it much quicker, thanks to the strong foundation of knowledge that she had built in the first two levels.

Once Costantino hit her stride with the program, she was able to fall into a daily schedule that prioritized not only her education, but her family life as well.

“I found time throughout the day to fit in moments with my family while also juggling school. One of my favorite parts of the day is getting up in the morning and snuggling with my son for an hour as he drank his bottle and I drank my morning coffee,” said Costantino.

After Costantino graduates and passes the licensure exam, she plans on taking some time off to spend time with her family, and by January, she will begin applying to universities to pursue her bachelor’s degree.

“The ICU and clinical experiences that I have had at DCTS have encouraged me to possibly pursue a career in the OR. Eventually, become an RN and maybe even get my master’s degree,” said Costantino.

Costantino advises students interested in the Practical Nursing Program to come in the program eager and ready to learn, and to abandon any notions that they will be able to slide by.

“You have to put the time into your studies in order to succeed in this program,” said Costantino.

Brianna Vettese, Nursing Educator

As Brianna Vettese nears her two year anniversary as a nursing educator at DCTS’ Practical Nursing Program, she also approaches another exciting milestone– the birth of her daughter.

Vettese knew from a very young age that she was meant to be a nurse.

“My mom was a nurse, and that is what initially sparked my interest in it. Also, being the oldest of four children, I have always been a natural caregiver,” said Vettese.

Vettese found out she was pregnant in November, shortly after Class 62 began Level I. Coincidentally, the first course that she taught was Obstetrics (OB), the field of study concentrated on pregnancy and childbirth.

Vettese hopes to watch Class 62 graduate on July 25, but with her due date being on July 31, she will be cutting it close.

“It is a big joke with this class, because I announced it at the beginning of the year, and we have been through all the levels together now. We have really bonded and grown together as a class, not just educationally, but physically as well,” said Vettese.

As students watch the transformation of her body right before their eyes, Vettese gears up for the birth of her second child. Vettese already has one daughter, 8-year-old, Natalie, and she recognizes that it will be very difficult adding a newborn to the equation, but she welcomes the challenge.

“I expect it to be very challenging, but nursing is challenging. I love what I do, and that makes it a lot easier to get up and go to work five days a week,” said Vettese.

Vettese is ecstatic to welcome her second daughter into the world, and hopefully, to celebrate alongside Class 62 on July 25.