Allison Vargas always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Growing up in a family of nurses, caring for others was almost second nature. Her mother, a pediatric nurse for 40 years, spent her entire career with Kaiser Permanente, as did several of Allison’s aunts. “I always respected my mom’s work,” she says. “She had this amazing balance between family and career, and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’”
After graduating from high school in 2008, Allison enrolled at a community college near her California hometown, where she earned an Associate of Science, followed by an Associate Degree in Nursing in 2014. She got her start at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she worked as an orthopedic and medical-surgical nurse. She quickly became a leader on her unit, gaining charge nurse responsibilities and precepting new nursing students, a role she loved.
The Road to Kaiser Permanente
From the beginning of her career, Allison’s goal was to join Kaiser Permanente, as her mother had done. In 2017, her dream came true when she was hired in the inpatient telemetry unit. “It was a little bit of luck and a lot of intentional planning,” Allison says. “Kaiser is known for its high standards for patient care and its amazing benefits, and I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be.”
Once again, Allison precepted students and took on leadership roles, spearheading a hospital-wide falls prevention project. It didn’t take long for her to make the decision to further her education. “I planned to get the bachelor’s degree, and knowing that Kaiser Permanente supports employees with tuition reimbursement and educational opportunities pushed me to go for it,” she says. The company’s partnership with Post University’s American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences caught Allison’s attention, and the university also came recommended by her aunt, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing alumna. “She said great things about it and how much she learned.” In 2017, Allison enrolled in the RN to BSN program.
Motivated to Continue Her Education
In 2019, Allison was selected for Kaiser Permanente’s six-month RN Residency Program, a unique opportunity to work with the Patient Care Services team at Kaiser’s regional office in Pasadena. “I was paired with a nurse educator, and we worked on projects like rolling out educational policies for nursing staff and developing materials for the new graduate program,” she says. “She had her Master of Science in Nursing, which inspired me to think about doing the same.”
When the residency concluded, and after completing her RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Post University, Allison was eager to follow in her mentor’s footsteps to pursue a master’s degree. She transferred into the urgent care clinic for a change of pace and the chance to try outpatient care. With support from Kaiser Permanente’s Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust, which helps employees advance their careers and education through partner institutions, she took the next step in her academic journey. In 2020, Allison started the Master of Science in Nursing – Nursing Education Specialization at Post.
Balancing Education, Ambition, and Family
Allison worked toward the MSN – Nursing Education Specialization, a class at a time, having two children along the way. “I did the master’s slowly, which was my intention, and one of the things I really appreciated about Post,” she says. “My goal was to learn as much as I could and soak it all in, but I wasn’t in a rush.”
In 2023, Allison moved into the ambulatory infusion center at Kaiser Permanente, managing care for patients receiving chemotherapy and other infusion treatments. She manages her own schedule, which fits her busy life as a mom, and appreciates the relationships she develops with patients. “I get to know them well, and I love that. They remember my kids’ birthdays and hug me goodbye at the end of appointments!”
Envisioning Her Next Chapter
In 2024, Allison completed her MSN – Nursing Education Specialization. Her goal is to eventually move into a staff education position with Kaiser Permanente, and long term, she’d love to teach as an adjunct in an associate degree nursing program.
“I’ve admired many of my instructors in my ADN program and the BSN and MSN programs at Post,” she says. “I do patient education every day in my current job, and I’m excited about future opportunities to put my master’s degree to use as a nurse educator.”
A Champion for Post University, Kaiser Permanente, and the Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust
Just as American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University came highly recommended to her, Allison now finds herself enthusiastically paying that recommendation forward. In early spring of 2025, she was invited to Post’s Connecticut campus to participate in a Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust Summit, where she served on a student and alumni panel highlighting the Kaiser Permanente-Post University partnership.
“It was an honor to talk about my experience and the amazing benefits of this partnership,” she says. “I’m so grateful, and I was thrilled to share what I loved about the program, the flexibility, the engaging environment, and the excellent communication and support from both student success advisors and professors. Post was a very positive experience. I’d encourage anyone to go there for their nursing education.”
