[Clinton, N.C.] – Megan Callahan is the current Simulation Coordinator for Sampson Community College’s (SCC) Nursing department. A Sampson County native, she graduated from Union High School and pursued her initial Nursing & Emergency Medical Science (EMS) degrees/certifications at SCC before transferring. After serving within the healthcare field, Callahan returned to SCC in 2023, this time as an instructor for the nursing program.
After graduating from Union in 2011, Callahan attended Cape Fear Community College where she completed her general education courses and Nurse Aid certification. In 2014, Callahan returned to Sampson County to enroll in SCC’s Practical Nursing (PN) program, then Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program.
Upon earning her PN and ADN degrees, Callahan continued her education at SCC by enrolling in the EMT & AEMT programs in 2019. Four years later, she graduated from Fayetteville State University with her BSN, and is now currently pursuing her Master’s in Nursing Education at Western Governors University—planning to graduate in March 2025.
“I chose to pursue a career in healthcare because I thought it was a cool job,” Callahan shared. “But once my mom and dad got sick when I was in the ADN program at SCC, I knew that nursing was the career for me. Just seeing the way, the nurses took care of my mom and the compassion they had towards her it made me want to have that same impact on someone else’s life.”
Beginning as a nurse aid at Pender Memorial Hospital, Callahan has worked locally at Sampson Regional Medical Center (SRMC) and Cape Fear Valley (CFV) as a nurse aid, rehab specialist, and stroke/neurological unit nurse before applying to SCC. In addition to her full-time position, Callahan still serves in the ER at CFV every other Friday and Saturday night, and teaches basic life support, pediatric advanced life support, and advanced cardiac life support as a certified AHA instructor.
In 2023, Callahan decided to apply for an instructor position at SCC in the Nurse Aid program. Soon, she transitioned to Nursing Clinical Instructor, and recently became the Simulation Coordinator in May of 2024. Callahan remarked that “never in a million years” did she envision herself becoming a healthcare instructor, but found she has a passion for educating others in the field she holds dear to her heart.
She explained, “I would always have nursing students or new graduate nurses to precept at the hospital and I fell in love with helping them navigate the nursing career field. So, I thought that by being a nursing instructor I could do something that I love every day. I chose to stay local because Clinton is home, and SCC was a perfect fit for me. Their motto of ‘Begin Here, Go Anywhere’ is a motto that should be all throughout your life.”
One of Callahan’s proudest moments during her SCC journey thus far, has been the establishment and operation of the College’s simulation labs on campus and at SRMC. Since 2021, SCC’s Simulation Coordinator position was left vacant until the arrival of Callahan, who swiftly worked to “get the lab up and running for students.” By 2025, she plans for SRMC’s lab to be fully functional as well.
“Since taking the position, I have been able to get new equipment for the students such as a fully functioning medication dispensing system,” Callahan mentioned. “The first half of the Fall semester I was able to align a “live” psychiatric patient for the students to have an opportunity to interact with during their simulation rotation. I have also been working on incorporating more interprofessional education between nursing students and EMS students. This semester, our nurses are working closely with the EMS students to care for patients, incorporating them into the EMS Crucible that is held every year.”
Another fond memory Callahan has of SCC, specifically as a student, was the first time she met her now husband, Ian, during an EMT course. Both former EMT students, Callahan recalled how one night during a late class she needed another tool for an assignment, and asked if he could accompany her outside to retrieve it. The rest, she said, was history.
Callahan remembered, “It was about 9PM and we needed another stethoscope for taking vital signs. I looked at my now husband and told him to go outside with me, so I would not get kidnapped. I then proceeded to call him a pansy because it was sprinkling outside, and he didn’t want to go outside. But ever since then we have been together.”
When asked who she’d like to thank, Callahan voiced that her husband, mother, and two best friends all encouraged her to apply to SCC and pursue her love of teaching. Without their support, Callahan pointed out, she wouldn’t have taken the leap of faith she did. She also thanked the faculty & staff from SCC’s Nursing & EMS departments, who were vital to the success of the simulation labs.
“During my journey I have had lots of help from everyone! Without the support and encouragement of my family and friends, I don’t think I would have applied to the college back in 2022 and made the career change that I did. Also, to the nursing and EMS teams, I don’t think that I could have made simulation what it is, without the help of the entire healthcare division at the College!”
In her new position as Simulation Coordinator, Callahan has great plans for the future of nursing at SCC, hoping to add more interprofessional education opportunities to simulation, opening the SRMC simulation lab, and overall provide more learning opportunities and valuable authentic experiences to students.
She closed, “Something that I feel is an accomplishment is watching my students learn and grow each time they come to my simulation lab. Hearing from other faculty members how much the students enjoyed the simulation rotation, how much they learned, and that they are excited to return is one accomplishment that I am very proud of.”
Sampson CC proudly welcomes Megan Callahan to her new role as Simulation Coordinator. The College loves seeing former students give back to their community through the education they received at SCC, and looks forward to all Megan will continue to do to help healthcare students succeed.
For more information about healthcare programs at SCC, visit sampsoncc.edu/healthcare. For career opportunities, visit sampsoncc.edu/jobs
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
