From wait list to emergency department: New RN finds where he belongs

After more than a decade of trying to become a registered nurse, Kasey Searles almost gave up.

Instead, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis graduate now works in the emergency department at UC Davis Health — the same place where he finally found a sense of belonging.

“I just know whatever I was doing, I never felt like I belonged,” Searles said. “So, I was always looking for like that place where I belong. And yeah, I felt like I’m there.”

Searles completed the 18-month Master’s Entry Program in Nursing in December 2025 and will walk in the June 2026 commencement ceremony. His path to becoming a nurse began long before graduate school.

Growing up in Oklahoma, Searles volunteered at a local hospital while in high school. He later became a certified nursing assistant, then a licensed vocational nurse, working in behavioral health, geriatrics and underserved communities.

But getting into an RN program proved difficult.

“I went through that really rough struggle out here in California of just continuously applying to schools, but not getting any acceptance or callback,” he said. “And it was really discouraging.”

After years of rejection letters, Searles earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sacramento State University and applied to the nursing school’s master’s entry program. He was wait-listed.

Then came the call.

On June 17, his daughter’s birthday, Searles received an email offering him a seat in the program just days before classes began.

“I called my boss immediately and I said, ‘Hey, I quit. I’m getting into this program,’” Searles said. “This is something I’ve been trying to do for a long time and I feel like it’s a risk that’s going to be worth it for me.”

Kasey Searles, left, says support from his MEPN classmates helped him grow, persevere and feel part of something bigger.

“Throughout the program, Kasey consistently demonstrated professionalism, intellectual curiosity and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those around him,” Assistant Professor Monica Godden said. “He combines clinical potential with empathy, professionalism and a commitment to patient-centered care, qualities that will make a lasting impact on those he serves.”

Searles said the experience reflected the school’s values of inclusion, collaboration and relationship-based care.

“I honestly felt like the red carpet was rolled out,” he said. “They really opened up the floor for everyone to speak from their own voice.”

As a first-generation college graduate and member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Searles said feeling seen and supported mattered deeply.

“I always felt like I had somebody to talk to,” he said. “Instructors, classmates — all the love to them.”

Now part of UC Davis Health’s emergency department nurse residency program, Searles believes the long road shaped the nurse he has become.

“I think without all the experiences that I had — and the incredible support of my wife and family, there’s no way I would have been where I’m at now,” he said. “It was all there for a reason.”

Working in the emergency department has reinforced the value of teamwork, humility and lifelong learning — qualities he said were strengthened during his time at the nursing school. Searles hopes his story encourages others who may doubt themselves or feel discouraged by setbacks.

“Don’t ever give up on yourself,” he said. “You gotta tell yourself every day that I do belong here, that this is what I want to do and this is what I believe in.”