Pictured above: foreground (lr); students Tara Cook, Nicole Williams, Randi Smith;
background (lr); UW Faculty Nursing Mary Anne Purtzer, Cheri Bellamy.
"Continuing my education has helped me in my role as a nurse."
- April Barnes from Woodland, Washington
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The story:
Who comes to a December Beginning Ceremony instead of the broad May Beginning?
What makes online students want to participate (and drive so far!) For an on-campus ceremony?
The importance of continuing education in one student's words
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Who comes to a December instead of May Ceremony?
Most nursing programs have their graduates at the beginning of the program, but the RN / BSN Completion online program may well have their program of study and desiring to participate in the winter Health Sciences ceremony. This December, seven RN / BSN graduated students, five of whom planned to the ceremony, and who actually made it in spite of the snowfall. The students have hometowns ranging from Lancaster, California to Woodland, Washington; from Ft. Colliins, Colorado, to Pinedale, Cheyenne, and Rawlins, Wyoming. Six out of the seven students are already employed and planning to stay in their current positions. The seventh student is preparing to return to school to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
The RN/BSN Completion online program is for students who are already registered nurses with either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma in nursing. Many employers are now requiring nurses to have a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
What makes online students want to participate (and drive so far!) for an on-campus ceremony?
The student who was prevented by the weather from participating in the ceremony was April Barnes from Woodland, Washington, currently employed with Kaiser Permanente in the northwest region. April and her supportive family were planning to drive from Washington to Wyoming for the commencement event, and were disappointed they couldn’t do so due to bad weather. Barnes is making plans instead to come in May for the Commencement and Convocation.
"It is important to me to attend the graduation for a couple of reasons," says Barnes. "I am the first in my family to graduate from college and that feels pretty huge to me. It has been a long road, and my husband and I felt it was important to acknowledge that. We also wanted our two children to see their mom finish. I want that moment to stay with them and hopefully inspire them to go to college and finish despite the obstacles of life. This may be a lot to try and instill at the ages of 10 and 4, but my husband and I have always felt education is very important."
The importance of continuing education, in one student's words
Barnes still isn't ready to lay back and relax after her journey to complete her degree. "I am planning to pursue my Masters in Nurse Leadership through UWYO," she adds. "I wanted to attend a school that offered an online program and also offered a solid nursing program. I got both of those with UWYO during my RN/BSN journey. I am excited about the new program UW School of Nursing will be offering in 2017, because it is a Masters in Nurse Leadership with a concentration in Nurse Educator. I feel like this will open many professional opportunities for me and afford me the ability to take my career in new directions."
Barnes says that the BSN degree can not be avoided because of the following: "Continuing my education has helped me in this process. in my profession leadership position as a staff nurse. That's why I have chosen to earn an MSN. "
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12-23-2015