Jeanne M. Colia, MSN, RN

Jeanne Colia earned her Associate Degree in Nursing from Suffolk Community College and her BSN Degree from SUNY Stony Brook University, Long Island, New York, all while working as a Certified Operating Room Nurse in SUNY Stony Brook Medical Center, a teaching hospital. From the beginning of her nursing career, she knew that she wanted to teach Nursing.

In 1991, she was recruited by St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida to assist in coordinating the operating room with the emergency room to develop the Trauma Center. Following her responsibilities at the Trauma Center, she moved on to develop and teach a Surgical Technology operating room course for the Palm Beach School Board.

During the development of the Surgical Technology program, she pursued a master’s degree in nursing education from Barry University in North Miami, Florida. This master’s degree opened up opportunities for her to teach Nursing in Palm Beach County universities, colleges, and technical schools. She joined HCI College in September 2016 and has been enjoying teaching there ever since.

Nursing instructors and colleagues who combined genuine passion for nursing with caring attitudes significantly influenced her career development as a nurse educator. She emphasizes the importance of forming a team of caring and nurturing faculty members, staff, and administrators who work together to guide the students and mentor new faculty. She often shares the saying “it takes a village” with her students and peers, and she feels a strong sense of camaraderie at HCI College.

She takes great pride in being able to give back to her profession. She finds it especially rewarding when she sees one of her graduates at a hospital or clinic, their faces beaming with pride, and they are always eager to share their stories of their career accomplishments.