{"id":14194,"date":"2026-09-23T09:08:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T14:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/?post_type=campus_story&#038;p=14194"},"modified":"2026-09-23T09:08:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T14:08:51","slug":"answering-a-lifes-calling-through-science-and-care","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/answering-a-lifes-calling-through-science-and-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Answering a life\u2019s calling through science and care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Careli Navarro, UW-Green Bay student\" class=\"wp-image-14195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2026\/09\/GRB_Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2724.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Careli Navarro knew by sixth grade she wanted to be a nurse. Now the UW-Green Bay junior is learning to think like one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just care about taking care of others and making them feel seen and heard.\u201dUW-Green Bay Nursing student, Careli Navarro Castenada<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Long before Careli Navarro imagined herself wearing a nurse\u2019s scrubs, caring for others already came naturally. Now, as a junior in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwgb.edu\/nursing-health-studies\/\">UW-Green Bay\u2019s Nursing<\/a> program, Navarro is combining that instinct with her interest in science as she prepares to make caring for others her profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caring Came First: Growing Up the Oldest of Four in Green Bay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the oldest of four sisters in a close-knit Green Bay family, Navarro learned early to look out for the people around her, often stepping in to care for her younger sisters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m the oldest daughter of four, so I always looked after others,\u201d she recalls. \u201cAnd always knew I wanted to do something helping others. I just didn\u2019t know what it was at first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Built to RISE at UW\u2011Green Bay: Meet Careli\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fwRbURIbc04?start=2&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By sixth grade, she was finding the answer. During a career exploration program at Washington Middle School, Navarro discovered nursing\u2014a profession that brought together two things that already interested her: science and caring for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI remember seeing nursing pop up as a career option, and it really interested me,\u201d she recalled. \u201cThey were hands-on. They took care of the most vulnerable. I also really liked science classes, so I decided to look more into it\u2014and I\u2019ve followed through ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nursing gave Navarro a name for the future she could already see for herself. That certainty never wavered through high school. While classmates were still deciding what came next, Navarro already knew the direction she wanted to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choosing UW-Green Bay as a First-Generation College Student<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing where she wanted to go did not mean she knew how to get there. As the first in her family to attend college, Navarro had no roadmap to follow. The question was not whether she would go\u2014it was which campus felt right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/files\/2026\/08\/Careli-Navarro-Castaneda-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of Careli in Phoenix t-shirt\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:1024px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>UW-Green Bay Nursing student Careli Navarro Castanada. Photo by Dan Moore, University Photographer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navarro considered several universities and kept coming back to UW-Green Bay. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwgb.edu\/scholarships\/\">Scholarships helped make college affordable<\/a> and staying close to home mattered. She lived about 10 minutes from campus, near her family and the community she had always known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">College was new territory, but Navarro did not enter it without support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy family has always been very supportive of me coming to college,\u201d Navarro said. \u201cI know they sacrificed a lot for me to be here\u2014to give me a life that they never had. They\u2019ve always told me that I can do whatever I want as long as I put my mind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At UW-Green Bay, Navarro learned the science, practiced the skills and put in the hours nursing school demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens When Nursing Students Start Clinicals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came clinicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first time, knowing the material wasn\u2019t enough. She had to put that knowledge to work with a real patient in front of her\u2014and a registered nurse beside her, watching, questioning and guiding her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Navarro, that nurse was Armandina Castle, who supervised her clinical group as adjunct faculty for UW-Green Bay. Castle\u2019s job was to help students make the leap from knowing the material to using it in real patient care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere can be a big shock when students move from the classroom to the bedside,\u201d Castle said. \u201cThey may understand the material in class but have difficulty seeing how it applies to the person in front of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/files\/2026\/08\/26-04-15-Nursing-Skills-Lab-Careli-2699-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Careli, in student nursing gear, takes another student&apos;s blood pressure\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:1024px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Nursing student Careli Navarro Castaneda, takes another nursing student\u2019s blood pressure during Health Assessment\u00a0for Nursing Practice class in a Wood Hall nursing lab. UW-Green Bay, Sue Pischke University Photographer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What a Nursing Home Clinical Rotation Looks Like<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navarro admits she went into her first clinical expecting the worst. The 4:30 a.m. wake-up did not exactly help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hate waking up early,\u201d she admits. But instead of dreading clinical days, she found herself looking forward to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI really enjoyed talking to my residents, taking care of them, learning more things and just being hands-on instead of sitting in the classroom,\u201d she said. \u201cAlthough I enjoy learning in the classroom, being hands-on is way different\u2014and I like that way better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Navarro, that transition took place in a nursing-home setting, primarily on the rehabilitation side, where many residents were recovering from surgery or another health event and working toward returning home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Castle saw Navarro working hard toward becoming a competent professional. \u201cFrom the beginning of the rotation to the end, I saw growth in her, especially in her confidence,\u201d Castle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BY THE NUMBERS: UW-GREEN BAY NURSING<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>6% projected growth \u2013 Wisconsin registered nurse positions are expected to grow 6% between 2022 and 2032.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CCNE accredited \u2013 the four-year BSN totals 131 credits and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 nursing pathways \u2013 high school graduates, working professionals \u2013 a pathway exists for all to best meet your schedule and goals\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>90% NCLEX-RN pass rate \u2013 45 UW-Green Bay BSN graduates passed the national licensure exam in 2025 (Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning to Notice: A High Blood Sugar and Clinical Judgment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of nursing happens in seemingly routine moments\u2014giving medications, checking vital signs, helping with daily care and noticing when something changes. The difference is knowing when one of those moments requires closer attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Navarro, that awareness came during a clinical shift when she noticed a resident\u2019s blood sugar was higher than expected. She assessed the resident, watched for signs of hyper- or hypoglycemia, reported what she found to the nurse and continued monitoring the resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat made me feel like an actual nurse,\u201d Navarro said. \u201cNot just helping with daily activities but paying attention to their diagnosis and overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Castle saw something more than a student completing a task. Navarro was beginning to connect what she observed with what she had learned and think through what the resident might need next. Navarro was thinking like a nurse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That kind of judgment, Castle said, also means knowing when to keep asking questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a nurse, we can\u2019t all have the answers,\u201d Castle said. \u201cBut when we don\u2019t have the answers, we need to look into it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/files\/2026\/08\/BUILT-TO-RISE-PSA-Shoot-18-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Careli stands confidently in a UW-Green Bay Phoenix sweatshirt\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:1024px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Behind the scenes photo of the production of the \u201cBUILT TO RISE\u201d brand commercial. Photo by Josh Buntin, Marketing and University Communication.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Kind of Nurse Careli Navarro Wants to Be<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As she nears graduation, Navarro is still deciding which area of nursing she may eventually pursue. The kind of nurse she wants to become, however, has not changed since sixth grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI want to be a compassionate nurse,\u201d she said. \u201cI want patients to feel safe and cared for during their most vulnerable moments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>At UW\u2011Green Bay, everyone has the power to Rise. Explore more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwgb.edu\/about\/\">Rise Stories<\/a> and meet the people from all walks of life who are Built to Rise and helping shape a brighter future for our region.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written by Kristin Bouchard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Link to original story: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/featured\/09\/08\/careli-navarro-uw-green-bay-nursing-student-clinicals\/\">https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/featured\/09\/08\/careli-navarro-uw-green-bay-nursing-student-clinicals\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Careli Navarro knew by sixth grade she wanted to be a nurse. Now the UW-Green Bay junior is learning to think like one. \u201cI just care about taking care of others and making them feel seen and heard.\u201dUW-Green Bay Nursing student, Careli Navarro Castenada Long before Careli Navarro imagined herself wearing a nurse\u2019s scrubs, caring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":14195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[111],"story_category":[147,150],"class_list":["post-14194","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-green-bay","story_category-community","story_category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/14194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=14194"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=14194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}