Which class(es) do you teach online?
MSN clinical courses
What do you want students in your courses to learn? What is the learning outcome or objective?
I want students to be able to move from RN to NP. I want them to learn to think critically. Students need to be able to stand alone when they are done with clinicals, and I am here to guide them to be able to do that. I want them to be confident in what they have learned and to be able to take that knowledge and use it in the real world, in real practice settings.
Why did you start teaching?
I started teaching because I think in a lot of ways, nursing is one of those careers where we tend to beat down our young. There are a lot of times where I have seen seasoned nurses downgrade young nurses. I wanted to foster them. Be there for them. Help them through this transition. Help them be the best they can be.
What advice would you give to those considering an online MSN program?
I think this [MSN-FNP] is a good program. I believe there are a lot of options to help you narrow down which path you want to go into.
What qualities make someone particularly successful in nursing?
In nursing—compassion and kindness are the big ones. Of course, you need intelligence, but if you are not compassionate for people and do not have empathy, you will not be a successful provider.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that nurse practitioners face today?
The biggest challenge for NPs is finding a job after they complete school. It's an awesome field to be in, no doubt, but I think there are some challenges out there finding a position post-graduation.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that your students may not know about you.
I am a single mother of three wonderful kids, two boys and a girl. My oldest, Chase, is in college at UK, still trying to figure things out. He might end up doing something in the medical field. My second, Alec, just enrolled in the army. He just left recently—hardest thing in my life was saying goodbye to him. And my baby girl, Jordyn, is a junior in HS. She's my rock and my boxing buddy (because she likes to show attitude from time to time—LOL)!
