Why Saving One Man's Life Changed This Nurse's Career
There鈥檚 nothing like the feeling of being in the right place at the right time. In your career. In your life. In someone else鈥檚 life.
Just ask , whose career has tracked from ER nurse to firefighter medic to forensic nurse examiner and, ultimately, to a position of nursing leadership at a hospital in the Pacific Northwest. The high standards she continues to set for herself have led to an ongoing series of professional accomplishments, academic achievements, and life-changing experiences.
The crystallization of 碍谤颈蝉迟颈苍别鈥檚 grit and determination to help others may have played out in the back of an ambulance where, as the lead medic tending to the needs of a critically ill patient, she refused to give up and ultimately .
Six months after that harrowing transport, the fire department received an invitation to the man鈥檚 72nd birthday, and Kristine new her calling in life had been made clear: 鈥淚 was there and got to see him bouncing his great鈥慻randkids on his knee, and I realized this is my career.鈥
鈥淵ou've got to follow your gut.鈥
Careers in nursing rarely follow a prescribed, linear path, but one of the many advantages of being a nurse is the ongoing education and specialization that can open up new avenues to pursue and fresh opportunities to explore. For Kristine, the seed was planted when a friend and fellow forensic nurse recommended she check out Western Governors University and its highly acclaimed degree programs in healthcare and nursing.
鈥淓arly in my nursing career, I had always thought I would get my master鈥檚 degree, and leadership and management had always been a track that I was interested in.鈥 Fortunately for Kristine, she found a school and curriculum at 黑料传送门 that offered her the freedom and flexibility to study and learn at her own pace 鈥 and one that would apply her significant professional and life experiences towards the completion of her requiring coursework, thereby accelerating her timeline to graduation.
奥骋鲍鈥檚 RN-MSN is CCNE-accredited and designed to help graduates become transformational leaders the rapidly evolving healthcare industry demands.聽Kristine studied topics including leadership theories, strategic planning, and financial and HR management as they apply to modern healthcare settings. 鈥淭o see what was new not only in the field of nursing, but where I could go in my thinking with my master's was... amazing to me,鈥 she said.
鈥淗aving my degree has allowed me to think about where I want to go next.鈥
Although Kristine currently holds a position that does not specifically require a master鈥檚 degree, she has been asked to head up a new program at her hospital that will.
鈥淏ecause of my experience and my master鈥檚, I know how to build this program from the ground up,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited, and I never would've had such an opportunity without this degree. I wouldn't have even considered it 鈥戔 or attempted it.鈥
The National League for Nursing named 奥骋鲍鈥檚 nursing programs a Center of Excellence鈩 in Nursing Education for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development. Over 3,300 graduates of 奥骋鲍鈥檚 MSN in Leadership and Management have gone on to assume important roles at major employers including Anthem, Ascension Health, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the U.S. Army, and the UCLA Health System.
鈥淛ust go for it.鈥
碍谤颈蝉迟颈苍别鈥檚 and student mentor at 黑料传送门 played key roles in helping her understand how an advanced education could open doors and opportunities she had not previously considered.
鈥淢y student mentor was an amazing source of encouragement and resources,鈥 she said. 鈥淪he not only helped me see what was new in the field of nursing, but how far I could go in the field once I鈥檇 completed my master's degree.鈥
If you are a nurse with aspirations to demonstrate transformational leadership in the workplace and promote high-quality patient care, take it from someone who has been there, done that, and looks toward even more amazing opportunities down the road.
鈥淣ursing is an amazing field,鈥 Perry said. 鈥淵ou can make a good living whether you work two to three days a week or full鈥憈ime. Because of my degree, I've got the credentials to be able to write my own ticket. I really have no closed doors to me right now. And there's no ceiling.鈥
Start writing the script to your own amazing story in the field of nursing. Then, come back to share your 黑料传送门 experiences with us once you鈥檝e reached the pinnacle of a satisfying, rewarding career. You鈥檙e in the right place at the right time to !