From Scrubs to the Classroom: How EOC Tech’s Health Careers Instructor Brings Real-World Experience to Her Students

Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center’s (EOC Tech) Health Careers Instructor, Kami Kelley has a heart for the healthcare field that is undeniably evident to her students under her instruction and to her co-workers at EOC Tech. Her passion for the Healthcare Industry was ignited early in her life, and served as a foundation for her career as both a nurse and an Instructor.

Kelly has taught the Health Careers Program at EOC Tech for two years. She is a true product of CareerTech as she attended her local Technology Center when she was in high school. It was there she earned her CNA certification and later, her LPN certification in 2013. Kelly put her certifications and knowledge into practice as an LPN for 10 years before she completed her BSN at Oklahoma University in 2023.

Kelly credits her grandmother for her passion for and dedication to the healthcare field.

“My grandma was a nurse and then eventually a nursing instructor, and I always knew that I wanted to do the same,” she said. “I love helping others and healthcare just always felt like a good fit from the beginning.”

Kelly said she had experience teaching short-term adult healthcare courses at a different technology center before coming to EOC Tech.

“As a nurse, I was passionate about patient education,” she said. “That experience helped greatly in my transition to teaching.”

Kelly worked in both adolescent psych and women’s health during her career before becoming a full-time Instructor. Currently at EOC Tech, she teaches CNA during the first semester of her program and covers EKG and Phlebotomy second semester.

While students learn a variety of skills in her program, Kelly said she believes the most important skills her students learn is critical thinking, adaptability, and compassionate care.

“CNA teaches students how to care for people on a very personal level, helping with things they may not be able to do for themselves that most of us take for granted,” she said. “The CNA program also teaches students the importance of providing holistic care that is kind, compassionate, and competent, ensuring they meet the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of each individual.”

Phlebotomy and EKG build on those concepts and add the specialized skills of venipuncture (blood draw), specimen collection and processing, EKG application, and basic EKG interpretations. Some information and skills overlap in each program.

Kelly feels a connection to her students and their education, likely because she pursued the same path.

“I believe that having completed my CNA in high school in a very similar setting gives me a unique perspective,” she said. “ I have been where my students are – the skills and lessons I learned as a nurse have also helped to shape me into the teacher I am today.”