One of the most stressful things for any college senior, besides keeping grades up in order to graduate, is finding a job after graduation.

For senior nursing major Angie Ortoleva, finding a job was not an issue.

Ortoleva recently accepted a job at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Mercy in Pittsburgh, where she will be working in the cardiac stepdown unit.

“If you think about it, the intensive care unit is the highest level of intensity, and then there is a stepdown unit, and there is floor status after that,” said Ortoleva. “So, I’m like the middle man, where you are stable enough to come out of the ICU, but you’re definitely not going to come home anytime soon.”

This unit is put in place because the ICU can be an intimidating place for some patients.

“The ICU is a scary place for most people,” said Ortoleva, “so they like to make it floor by floor.”

Nursing wasn’t always the field of choice for Ortoleva, as she only decided on her major late in her high school career.

“I did not want to be a nurse for the longest time,” said Ortoleva. “I went to work with my mom; I just helped out and did aid work, turned and repositioned patients and gave them towels.”

While it was only basic work, it had an impact on Ortoleva that has now shaped her future.

“I really loved what I did,” said Ortoleva. “I loved being with the patients, getting them ice, getting them blankets and talking with the families.”

For most people, choosing the right college can be hectic and time consuming. This process was no different for Ortoleva.

“My mom had signed me up for a visitation at [The University of Pittsburgh],” said Ortoleva. “On our way down to Oakland, I see this billboard, and it’s some nurse from Waynesburg. I said, ‘OK that one.’”

The initial visit for Ortoleva did not go as planned for several reasons.

“I had signed myself up for a visit to Waynesburg, and I hated it,” said Ortoleva. “I didn’t like how small it was, and my dream was Penn State [University].”

Coming back for the second time, the story changed, and Waynesburg’s appeal had grown.

“We came back a second time, and the students were able to have a one-on-one,” said Ortoleva. “That’s when I was like, ‘wow this place really does care,’ and I got to talk to professors, and they told me what the plan would be.”

According to Ortoleva, looking at the different aspects of the hospitals is important to finding a good job.

“Don’t accept a job just because they offer it to you,” said Ortoleva. “Look at the benefits like, are they going to offer parking, do you have to take a shuttle, do the offer healthcare.”

After looking at the different aspects, Ortoleva also stressed that finding a place that fits is imperative.

“Figure out what you want to do first,” said Ortoleva. “Figure out what floor you like or what kind of nursing you like, and find a place that fits you.”