An Iowa man has won over people’s hearts as he made the switch from Computer Science to Healthcare overnight, amidst the brewing Coronavirus pandemic. Todd Dunkel, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa was a dedicated Computer Science professional for a commendable 20 years. He had got accustomed to the nuances of the job and found his comfort zone. However, his years of expertise and comfort was long forgotten as he applied for a 2 years Associates Nursing Program at the Mercy College of Health Sciences to see his dreams finally take flight.
The Director of Mercy College of Health Sciences has confirmed a noticeable increase in enrollments for the nursing programs since the beginning of the pandemic. The Fall of 2019 saw a total of 564 candidates, which quickly grew to 626 by the Fall of 2020. Todd Dunkel will be a proud member of the 56,152 registered nurses in the state of Iowa.
Altruistic by heart, Dunkel had always sustained a passion for lending a helping hand to people in whichever way he could. He had been a dedicated volunteer for several community hospitals, in his spare time. Dunkel admits that while his heart strived to be a healthcare professional, the time was never right.
2020 altered the status quo; suddenly, there was an uncontrollable surge of Coronavirus-affected patients in every hospital and the front-line workers could barely get a second’s respite. The precarious condition of Healthcare in the country drove Dunkel to finally make a decision. He has been working overtime towards transferring his credits from other degrees and taking extra classes through a different accredited nursing program, so that he can complete his course earlier than the stipulated period. Following the Associates Nursing Program, he wishes to enroll himself for the school’s Registered Nurse program.
On January 25, Todd Dunkel reported that he will be putting his newly-acquired skills to test as a student nurse technician on the Oncology floor of the MercyOne Des Moines Medical Centre. His friends and family have attested to his recent positive temperament. They have since agreed that he appears to be happier than ever before. During a recent conversation with Dunkel, he was heard quoting his son as saying that he “can’t wait” for him to start his job- his “new job”. A proud father and husband, Todd Dunkel is but one of the thousand altruistic souls who make the world a better place during trying times.
