INA, Ill. (September 10, 2025) — Rend Lake College graduate Coty Compton (Mt. Vernon) has turned his nursing degree from RLC into a very successful career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
Left photo, pictured: Compton with his son, Theo
Compton graduated from the RLC Nursing program in 2012, where he was prepared to practice professional nursing. Through this program, Compton enhanced his critical thinking, problem-solving skills, decision-making, clinical reasoning and nursing judgment.
"Rend Lake College created a learning environment that allowed me to grow as a student and professionally," said Compton. "My understanding of time management and strategies to learn and understand advanced materials began at Rend Lake."
Following his RLC graduation, Compton transferred to Saint Louis University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014. After two years of gaining work experience at Herrin Hospital's ICU, Compton was accepted into Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville's CRNA program. In May 2019, Compton presented his doctoral project, "Introducing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Colorectal Procedures," and received a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
Compton presented his doctoral project, "Introducing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Colorectal Procedures," in May 2019.
Currently, Compton is a CRNA at Anesthesia Associates of Southern Illinois in Mt. Vernon, where he provides anesthesia and pain management care for patients undergoing various procedures and surgeries. He credits RLC’s Nursing program with preparing him for the challenges in his career.
“The biggest [skill] I learned was time management from balancing multiple courses and studies,” Compton explained. “I also developed critical thinking skills and the ability to adapt study techniques as the difficulty in coursework changes. These skills later developed my problem-solving strategies necessary for my job.”
Compton provided some advice to future and current RLC nursing students.
“A good friend of mine during our anesthesia program came up with the mindset of ‘winning the day,’ which has stuck with me over the years,” he said. “When you are presented with a difficult scenario, set an attainable list of goals that can be achieved during a single day. Then, you put the work in to make sure you achieve those goals. Don’t try to complete the [academic] year without winning the day first.”
Interested in having a successful career in nursing like Coty? Visit rlc.edu/nursing to start your journey in nursing.