The Nursing Aspire program's purpose is to develop leaders in nursing to advance the profession. The late Dr. Marcia Dale (former dean of the School of Nursing) loved students, greatly enjoyed mentoring them, and was undoubtedly the epitome of a leader. For these reasons and more, the Aspire program was renamed the "Marcia Dale Aspire Scholars" program in her honor.
Four students are accepted into the program each year following an intense application/interview process. The Inaugural Aspire group of four are now seniors and will be graduating this May 2015. This is the second of four spotlights where each senior reflects on the value of the Marcia Dale Aspire Scholars program.
Simpson began her college career knowing she wanted to pursue a degree in the field of science, originally setting out to become a veterinarian. Then in spring semester of her freshman year, her brother took an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification course. "I admired the work that he was doing," says Simpson, "and realized that helping people was my true desire." Simpson enrolled in the EMT courseandsho rtly thereafter changed her major to nursing.
Simpson has lived in Wyoming for the majority of her life, "and am proud to have grown up here," she says. "I believe that Wyoming is full of opportunities. So I naturally chose UW for several reasons: attending a smaller university allows me to build strong relations with peers and staff and participate in community-based programs; my mother is a UW alumna; I attended the University Lab School as a young child." So UW has be a partner of Simpson's life for as long as she can recall. She says UW has a strong sense of community of which she has always felt a part.
Simpson applied for Aspire, because she wanted to be engaged in the nursing community as early as possible. "I believe that nursing is a profession which is not limited to the classroom, and that it is important to build experience base in different environments."
How has Aspire affected your view of nursing leadership?
Being a part of Aspire has made me realize how many different leadership opportunities
there are in nursing. Nursing doesn’t just have to be at the bedside. There are many
nurses working to better hospital policies to improve patient care. Nurses can also
be involved politically by working to pass laws they feel are important, or giving
their opinions on what should be done to make healthcare better.
Of the events you participated in as an Aspire student, describe which has made the
biggest impact on you as a student, as a nurse and as a prospective leader?
One thing that has made a huge impact on me as a leader is giving the tours for Discovery
Days. By doing this I felt as though I was able to use my leadership skills directly.
I loved answering questions that the prospective students had and being able to show
off our school. I remember coming to Discovery Days when I was looking at different
colleges to attend. Being able to ask questions and look around at where I would be
attending school really helped me to make my decision. I think it is very beneficial
for the students to be able to talk to someone who is currently in the program. I
can relate to what they are going through, give them tips about what I’ve found to
be helpful when choosing a school and prepare them for this amazing journey. Being
able to interact with prospective students is one of my favorite assignments in Aspire.
I truly feel like I am fulfilling my duty as a leader when I get to share my excitement
and directly talk with visitors.
What has been a challenge?
The only challenging part of Aspire that I’ve found is that it really challenges your
thinking. It is important to be able to think critically and creatively when discussing
different issues or participating in different events.
Has Aspire affected your view of what nurses do?
Aspire has made me realize that nurses are a very powerful force. We are the ones
at the bedside giving direct patient care, so many rely on us for feedback. It is
our responsibility to advocate for our patients. As nurses, we have the ability to
act on things we believe need to change in order to better our healthcare system.
It takes a leader to act and make changes possible.
How would you describe the Aspire program to prospective students?
As an Aspire student you are an ambassador for the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing.
You are specifically chosen because of your leadership potential, enthusiasm, and
intelligence. It is your responsibility to represent our school with professionalism,
consistency, and a positive attitude. Aspire gives you the opportunity to participate
in many different activities and meet amazing leaders in nursing. You learn different
leadership skills and improve communication and collaboration skills to become a better,
well-rounded nurse.
What doors of opportunity have opened to you as a result of Aspire?
I have had some amazing opportunities as a result of Aspire. Most recently, I was
able to attend the American Nurses Association National Quality Conference in Orlando,
Florida. At this conference I met nurses from around the nation and attended different
seminars that presented evidence-based research on improving quality of health care.
It really gave me the perspective that nurses are on the forefront when providing
quality care. The nurses who conducted these studies saw a need for change in the
way things were done to make them better. They shared the results of these studies
along with research about what they did to help better nursing practices all over
the country. There were so many great ideas, and it was amazing to see the nursing
community coming together with the common goal of bettering health care.
Anything else you want to add that wasn't covered above?
As stated above in my "background" section, I knew from the beginning I didn’t just
want to be a nurse, I wanted to be a nurse that made an impact and could make a difference
in the nursing profession. I wanted to be a leader. Taking part in the Aspire program
has given me the head start I needed to make this happen. I’ve met many current nursing
leaders and have gained the knowledge that will help me achieve a leadership role
in my future. My leadership, communication, and collaboration skills have improved
greatly, which will help me to be a better, well-rounded nurse. I am so thankful I
had the opportunity to participate in the Aspire program. It has truly had a positive
impact on my time in nursing school, and will ultimately have a positive impact on
my future nursing career.
*photo credit
Elinore Simpson poses with her horse.
original post 4/2015; updated 1/2017