Biography

Mike Hughes is our Medical Assisting Instructor and with 40 years of experience and a master's degree in nursing, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our students. Nicknamed the "medical guru", Mike believes that nurses are natural teachers and hopes to inspire others to pursue this meaningful profession. He shares, "I always wanted to serve people, and I knew this even in high school. My friends would come to me for advice because I was easy to talk to".

 

Starting his career with a degree in psychology, Mike worked with a crisis outreach team and spent half of his career in psychology. He enjoyed both the behavioral and technical sides of nursing and worked in cardiac medicine before transitioning to teaching. A dean at Grand Canyon College encouraged him to apply for a teaching position, which led him to start his teaching journey there. His most recent position was at Yavapai College, where he thought
he had retired—until he joined us shortly after!

Mike acknowledges that he’s not the youngest anymore and emphasizes the need for new nurses to step up, as there’s a critical shortage in the field.