Charise Lavarreda

MSN

FNP-C

Charise Lavarreda began her nursing career in 2009 as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), graduating from the same program in which she now serves as faculty. From 2010 to 2014, she worked in a medical-surgical/telemetry setting while completing her Registered Nurse (RN) education. After earning her RN, she continued practicing on the medical-surgical/telemetry unit, serving briefly in a charge nurse role before transitioning to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she gained six years of critical care experience.

In February 2021, Charise advanced her clinical practice by transitioning into general surgery as a Nurse Practitioner (NP). Since 2023, she has practiced as a hospitalist NP, providing comprehensive inpatient care across diverse patient populations. That same year, she joined the faculty at Cerro Coso Community College within the LVN program, bringing valuable clinical expertise and firsthand program insight to her teaching.

Currently, Charise is expanding her academic experience by collaborating with Porterville College’s RN program as she prepares to support the development and launch of Cerro Coso Community College’s RN program, contributing to the growth and advancement of nursing education in her community.