I have enjoyed catching up with some of the former graduates of the Nurse Educator program here at Walsh. Everyone has a different journey and it is interesting to hear each one of their stories. This blog post includes two different testimonies, the first is from Allison M. Brown, MSN, RN-BC:
“I wanted to be a Nurse Educator without really knowing the official title first. I am a staff nurse on a busy medical/surgical floor, and I always loved when students would shadow with me or I could explain new concepts to them when we were caring for the same patients during their clinical hours. I also loved orienting new grads and trying to be a resource for them whenever possible. Dr. Andrea Price (Dr. Price is an associate professor of nursing at Walsh University) had a clinical group on my floor in 2012, and I mentioned to her that I loved teaching nursing students. She wasted no time and brought me the paperwork to apply to be a clinical instructor as well as information on enrolling in the MSN-Nurse Educator program at Walsh the next week!
I enrolled and started my course work in January 2013, along with teaching my first group of nursing students. I am always looking for those light bulb moments in my students, but I had my own light bulb moment that first clinical day-I had found something I truly love doing and am passionate about.
Walsh has an excellent Nurse Educator program. I loved that the faculty were so experienced in many different areas of Nursing Education. I was able to see and experience so many different facets of being a nurse educator through my interactions with faculty, especially my precepting hours. From running Scan-tron tests through the machine with Dr. Mary Cook to checking on clinical groups with Dr. Price, I feel Walsh's program covered all areas of nursing education and prepared me for a successful future as a Nurse Educator.
I am using my MSN in Nursing Education currently as a clinical instructor for undergraduate nursing students at Walsh, and as a Nursing/Allied Health tutor through Pearson's Smart thinking service.
My advice to prospective Nurse Educator students is to follow your passion in nursing. There are so many options for fulfilling work in our profession. If educating the next generation of nurses is something you feel strongly about, I do not know of a better program than Walsh's MSN-Nurse Educator program to help you achieve your career goals.” ~ written by Allison Brown, MSN, RN
Here is another testimony from former student Linda Elder, MSN, RN, CPN, CBC
“I really enjoyed the program at Walsh! I think the faculty is top-notch. I believe that I am well-prepared to teach in either a staff development role, or a clinical/academic educator role. Part of being a good educator is whetting people’s appetite for more knowledge and the faculty did that for me. My personal library has grown from just the required books to include books by Nightingale and other nursing theorists as well as a variety of nursing education books. I joined Ohio League for Nursing after encouragement from Dr. Mary Cook. That has proven to be a good experience, too.
After I graduated, I was able to write a poster presentation for Walsh’s Research Day which I am quite proud of.” ~ written by Linda Elder, MSN, RN, CPN, CBC
My name is Colleen Wiley and I am a nurse educator. Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, but I also had an interest in learning about science. I have always loved helping people which is why I chose to pursue a career in nursing. I spent my time in undergraduate nursing school working as a nurse intern on a medical surgical unit. After graduation in 2005, I worked at the bedside caring for post-operative patients and I loved it! Eventually, I started offering to train new employees and I would also take on nursing students for their clinical preceptorship. It was then that I truly realized my real passion was seeded in becoming a nurse educator! I started working as an adjunct clinical instructor in 2010 and immediately knew this was the path for me. A fire was lit inside of me! That burning feeling of helping others was reignited as I shifted my focus from helping sick and/or recovering patients in the acute setting to helping students learn how to become a nurse. I pursued a graduate degree in nursing education which I earned in December of 2014. I have been working as a nurse educator ever since I took that first leap back in 2010.
