The Versant Registered Nurse residency program has brought another five recent RN grads to Doctors Hospital of Manteca 

The women all have received their certification from both junior colleges with AA degrees and from four year schools with Bachelor of Science degrees.

Jamie Vidrio is serving as an RN resident in the Multi-Specialty South Unit on the night shift.

Currently living in Stockton her past experience includes being a charge nurse at Delta Blood Bank.  She also worked as a health insurance representative for Tele Tech Communications.  She and her husband have two boys aged 6 and 9.  She said that following her residency she hopes to work either in ICU or OB departments.

She gleaned her passion for nursing from her Aunt Bonnie Davis who was the school nurse at her elementary school and who worked at San Joaquin General Hospital in the intensive care unit.  When in the primary grades at Oakwood Elementary School in Stockton, her grandmother would let her help her in the office taking sick children back to their classrooms after seeing her.

For Lorna Metzger it is a chance for her to learn more about medicine and be exposed to the many different departments during her residency.  Becoming an RN is truly a passion for Metzger who has raised a daughter and two sons in addition to caring for her parents until they passed away, then returned to school. She has been assigned to RN resident duties in Med Surge on days.

 Her daughter is employed with the Kids Court in Los Angeles. One son is still home and the other is finishing his engineering degree at San Jose State.  She drew her passion for nursing from a great aunt who served as a nurse in both world wars and received a medal from Queen Victoria – “that rubbed off on me,” she quipped.

Metzger’s work experience included being a certified nursing assistant (CAN) and student nurse at Lodi Memorial Hospital as well as being in sales for Lexus of Westminster.

April Gardow is now an RN resident in the Med Surge Department on the day shift.  She hopes to care for patients and create a lasting impression for making a difference.  Her mentor in developing her character for people and creating a work ethic came from her fourth grade teacher Mr. Dieu at Stanislaus Union Elementary School in Modesto.

Gardow has been a Realtor for both RE/Max Executive and Paul Zagaris Real Estate in Modesto.  She was also a customer service representative for Gardner Trucking in Manteca, and a former patient services representative at San Joaquin County General Hospital in French Camp. 

Kristen Lewis has already found how much she likes working in pediatrics and in the emergency room. She is doing her Versant residency in the Multi-Specialty Unit on days.  Her past experience includes being an ER Scribe at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.  She worked as a receptionist/intern with Turlock Family Chiropractic in Turlock.  She traveled to Mexico with Shelter Care in Modesto seeing the impact one person can make in people’s health care. 

She sees her caring character as coming from her husband who she says is always kind and patient with everyone – “gentle and caring – it’s cool,” she said.

Tabitha Ortiz is serving her residency in the Med Surge Department on days.  She has doubled as a Public Health Nurse and in her earlier years has spent time in nursing homes where she has offered to do the fingernails of the women residents.

Ortiz’s past experiences have included being a corporate secretary for R&T Specialties Inc., a front office medical assistant, and the office medical assistant for Ways Medical OBGYN in Modesto.

“I became a nurse because I wanted to have a positive impact on people who can’t take care of themselves,” she said.