Health Occupations Center Instructors/Patricia Del Fran

Ms. Del Fran started her nursing career in high school, when she took a nursing assistant class. After working in a nursing home for seven years, in 1978, she went back to school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. As an LVN, she worked in a Medical/Surgical Unit in an acute-care hospital for several years, after which she changed her focus to Oncology. Ms. Del Fran completed her Registered Nursing program at Grossmont College, graduating in 1985 with an Associates Degree in Nursing.

After several years of Oncology nursing in the hospital setting, Ms. Del Fran accepted a position as a nurse in a private Oncology practice. She delivered chemotherapy to the patients of three doctors. It was a challenging and rewarding job.

In 2006, Ms. Del Fran began teaching IV Therapy at Health Occupations Center. In January of 2007, she took on the challenge of being the Medications instructor for the Vocational Nursing program. She takes groups of 4-5 students at a time for a full week of intensive supervised practice in administering medications. All VN students attend her clinical rotation during both their second and third semesters in the program. She says of her teaching experience at HOC, “I love it very much!”

Ms. Del Fran is married and has two children and eight grandchildren. She enjoys babysitting all those grandchildren, shopping and traveling. She lives her life by the motto, “To thine own self be true.”