Embracing Education in Its Broadest Sense

Abstract

Our current articulation models have not worked as well as we had hoped in supporting nurse graduates to pursue advanced degrees. Moreover, we must embrace education in its broadest sense and think creatively about transition models that value lifelong learning as points of progression along more accessible pathways. SUSAN, a dear friend of mine, was recently diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. When she called to tell me her diagnosis, I was shocked and devastated for her. Quickly, though, I did what so many of us have done in similar circumstances. I took a deep breath, read everything I could find about her diagnosis and possible therapies, and, with other friends, embarked on a journey with Susan that brought us face to face with the current health care system and, more specifically, with the nursing workforce at a large, urban teaching hospital. The initial weeks were filled with countless tests and CT scans, as well as visits to a myriad of doctors. A great deal of time was spent sitting in offices, waiting for uncertain results. During that time I spent many hours talking with nurses, asking them about their careers, where they received their initial education, how they achieved expertise in radiation intervention therapy or chemotherapy infusion, and how they came to this moment, working in a high-intensity, complex specialty. What struck me was the diversity of career paths I discovered. The nurse who worked together with the intervention radiologist graduated from a diploma program in the early nineties and received several certifications over the years. The nurse who gives Susan chemotherapy every three weeks and counsels her on ways to manage side effects and unanticipated events graduated from a community college program, became certified in chemotherapy, and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree. We met nurse practitioners with graduate degrees in adult health as well as countless other nurses, many of whom were in the process of returning to school for advanced degrees. None of them knew at the point of graduation all that they know now, and all of them came to this moment, with Susan, from different entry points, experiencing varied career paths as they pursued professional growth and advancement. Those of us who stand in life as teachers of nurses can take pride in our achievements. All of us, as nurse educators, foster in our students a commitment to continual learning and professional growth. We can also take pride in knowing that we are members of the NLN, an organization that values a culture of diversity, embracing and celebrating the richness of individuals and varied approaches to ideas, points of entry, systemwide models, and professional advancement. …