Nathaniel Allen: Living the SUNY Broome Dream

By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

At age 23, Nathaniel Allen (RN ’25) is living the “SUNY Broome Dream,” entering adulthood with no student debt, immediate employment, and a competitive salary.

The past few months have been especially eventful for Allen. In May, he graduated from the College’s highly competitive Nursing: A.A.S. program. In June, he passed the Nursing Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), allowing him to officially practice as a registered nurse. In July, he formally started his RN career on “Seton 1,” a cardiac step-down/telemetry unit at Guthrie Lourdes Hospital. The beauty of Allen’s story is that it’s just beginning, all thanks to a transformative start at his community’s college.

Allen was born and raised in Binghamton. A bright, well-rounded student, he played soccer and lacrosse for Binghamton High School and earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. With a registered nurse and a firefighter/paramedic for parents, Allen and his older brother reaped the benefits of growing up in a healthcare household. 

“Two big things stand out for me as the child of a nurse and first responder. The first is that medical terminology was always present in our discussions. Even as a little kid, I would use the formal terms for illnesses when I described how I was feeling,” Allen reflected. “The second is that my parents taught us to always say, ‘I love you’ to each other as we head out the door. Professional experiences showed them that life is fragile and unexpected. It’s always worth it to part on a loving note.” 

Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Allen made the fiscally responsible decision to enroll at SUNY Broome, spending his first year in the Mechanical Technology: A.A.S. program. While his classes were interesting, he never felt a spark. Unsure of how to proceed, his mother suggested switching his academic status from full-time to part-time, and joining her working at Lourdes.

 Hired as a per diem orderly in the operating room (OR), Allen had a front-row seat to “healthcare career exploration 101.”

“I used my time in the OR to really observe the duties of everyone in the room. It was amazing to see how their collaboration achieved the best outcomes for the patients,” Allen explained. “Of all the roles, I felt most drawn to the nurses and scrub techs.”  

A pros and cons list comparing the career opportunities of a nurse v. a surgical scrub technician helped Allen determine his path. While scrub techs played a vital role in the OR, nurses were vital everywhere – in every hospital unit, in clinics and private practices, in schools, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities, in home health care, and in hospice. Most importantly, the path to becoming a nurse could start right away at the college where he was currently enrolled. 

Allen transferred into SUNY Broome’s Health Sciences: A.S. program to complete his prerequisites and boost his GPA. His first application to the nursing program was denied. Determined that this was not the end of his story, Allen retook his core classes, passed the mandatory entrance exam, reapplied a year later, and was admitted into the Fall 2023 nursing cohort.

The night before his first day, Allen panicked. Would he be the only guy in the room? Much to his relief, there were more than a dozen men in a class of 80. Though male nurses are still classified as non-traditional, comprising less than 25% of practitioners in the field, SUNY Broome’s population of male nursing students continues to grow annually.

Allen and five of his new classmates quickly formed a small study group, descending to his basement weekly to pore over textbooks and study guides with the help of an instrumental tutor: his mom. Channeling decades of nursing knowledge, she masterfully answered questions, offered real-world case examples, and even graciously provided snacks. When Allen’s mom wasn’t available, his dad jumped in as back-up support, which was particularly helpful during emergency care units.

To fund his education, Allen remained at Lourdes throughout his stint as a nursing student, first as an orderly and then as a patient care partner on Seton 1. His familiarity with the hospital setting only strengthened his clinical rotation experiences.

“I definitely had some pre-clinical jitters, but I was not nearly as nervous as I could have been. I’d seen enough not to be bothered by the ‘gross’ stuff,” Allen reflected. “I just wanted to help. Even if I’m just fixing someone’s lunch order, helping them stand up with confidence, or listening to their medical history to help connect the dots, I’m impacting their stay for the better.”

Though a working student, Allen hoped to lighten his financial load and completed the SUNY Broome Foundation’s comprehensive scholarship application, and hoped for the best. The best came via the newly endowed Wayne C. Mitteer RN, MS Scholarship for the Advancement of Men in Nursing.

“I told my mom that I was offered a scholarship for men in nursing, but I never mentioned the donor connected to it,” Allen said. “It wasn’t until she read the program at the recognition reception that she realized that my scholarship was in honor of Wayne Mitteer. My mom worked with Wayne at Lourdes. It was a happy surprise for everyone!”

Interestingly, despite an approximately 50-year gap in their SUNY Broome nursing student experiences, the scholarship’s donor and recipient share nearly identical origin stories. Both men are local to Broome County and are the younger of two sons. Both started working for Lourdes as orderlies and began their nursing careers on Seton 1. Most importantly, they were both called to nursing for the same reason — to serve others. 

With his degree and NCLEX under his belt, job hunting was a breeze. Allen wasn’t just ready to be a nurse; he was ready to be a nurse in and for his community. The team at Lourdes, which first welcomed him as an orderly and then a tech, couldn’t wait to add him to the unit’s rotation of RNs — and the excitement was mutual. 

“My favorite part of talking to experienced nurses is hearing where their nursing careers have taken them. They consistently say, ‘I never thought I would be in the ER, or the ICU, or in education, or administration.’ The variety of a nurse’s work is endless. I’m just really excited to see where my nursing journey will take me!”

Allen’s Advice for Men in Nursing Today: “Don’t give up. You don’t have to be a perfect student to be a nurse. You just need to study hard, seek help when needed, and be confident in each skill. It takes time, but the result is that your patients will have stronger and speedier recoveries.”

Inspired by Nathaniel’s story? Consider earning a FREE associate degree in high-demand programs like Nursing: A.A.S.! Find out if you’re eligible for SUNY Reconnect at SUNY Broome.

Tags: Health Sciences Division, Nursing, Nursing Evening/Weekend, Profile, Scholarships, Student Profile, SUNY Broome Foundation