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Inspiration

 

Degree I earned: 

 

 

What I studied:

M.S. degree in Nursing, Education specialization

 

What I studied: My practicum focused on teachable moments—how to help nurses educate patients at the bedside in a more timely and expedient fashion.

How I paid for it:  How I paid for it: My hospital had tuition reimbursement.
How long it took: Two years—from September 2005 to October 2007.
When I studied:  Evenings were exclusive study time. My family understood after 9 p.m., I would be in my study. I wouldn’t come out sometimes until 1 a.m.
Most challenging part:  Juggling school, a full-time job, three teenagers (my son, Sean, 17; my daughter, Lysbeth, 13; and my niece, Rebecca, 12), and my husband, Chris.
My strategy for success:  We had the opportunity to get to know people in the online student lounge as we began the program. Several people I “met” were from Texas, my home state. We started sharing phone calls, personal emails, and pictures of our families. At first, there were six of us—we called ourselves the “Six Chicks”—but we added 10 more members and became the “MasterChicks.” As an “online sorority,” we supported each other through our studies and life experiences. To this date, we remain the best of friends and plan yearly reunions together.
Lowest point (and how I got through it): My husband, Chris, had a heart attack as I was finishing my first year of my master’s degree. I did not know how I would begin, much less complete, my second. My MasterChick friends, as well as several compassionate professors, helped me through this personal crisis. I’ll never forget their support and love during a very scary time of my life. (Chris has since made a full recovery.) My daughters gave me the space and the time to do what I needed to do. During the last year of my program, they consistently cooked dinner!
Highest point: Meeting the MasterChicks and their families in person at graduation was a mountaintop experience. Putting my arms around and hugging each one of them was absolutely incredible and awesome!
Biggest change in my life since earning my degree: Just before graduation, I accepted a position as a patient education coordinator. It’s a total career change for me. I’ve been a nurse for 28 years, and now I’m shifting gears and becoming an educator.
Best reason to get a degree: Assigned titles do not make you a leader—the way you are educated and how you use your education and experience does.
What’s next: Through writing and publishing, presenting at conferences and teaching online classes, it is my vision to perpetuate the nursing “species” and keep nursing viable. No matter how sophisticated medical technology becomes, there always has to be a human touch. Nurses are talented enough to be able to deliver both the skill and the compassion to impact a human life.


 

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