After experiencing an academic defeat, Jennifer set aside her self-doubt from the past and pushed herself to go back to school for her MSN at the age of 56. She graduated in 2019 with a specialization in Administration and Management, which allowed her to begin her next journey of mentoring new nurses. Here’s her story.
There are many reasons why I am overjoyed about graduating from Aspen University with an MSN in Administration and Management. My nursing career began when I received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (and also in Food and Nutrition) from Florida State University in 1985. I took the boards and started working as a nurse. I never felt the need to go back and earn another degree, well, at least not until I was 40 years old. I returned to school in 2000 for a Master’s Program at Nova Southeastern University in Biomedical Science. If I did well and passed all the courses with 80 percent, I would qualify for the medical school program, which was my intention. The first year proved more difficult than I had anticipated because I was a newly divorced mom with two small children. They were with their father, who lived six hours away, and I visited them every other weekend, or they would come to see me until the traveling was no longer sustainable.
As it turned out, I had set myself up for failure and could not continue onto medical school the following year. My self-esteem took a downward spiral. I doubted my intelligence, my capabilities as a mother, and my overall self-worth. I thought I was strong and could get by on pure grit like I had done so many other times in my life. The student loans that I had incurred were enough to keep me up at night wondering, “How would I ever be able to repay them?” Thanks to the compound interest, I am still paying on them to this day. I had no choice but to go back to work doing what I did best, which was nursing and I resumed working as a bedside nurse at the local public hospital.
Time moved on, and before I knew it, my children were teenagers getting ready to attend college themselves. We always want our children to do better than we ever could and have the means to survive out in the world. They graduated and went on to become well-adjusted citizens and fine young men. They were the reason I never stopped moving forward in those dark days of defeat and doubt.
As I worked as a healthcare professional, the United States healthcare was changing at a rapid pace. The technology was outpacing the workforce, and adjustments and benefits were slow to be realized. Everything was becoming automated and standardized, and evidence-based practice had become the golden rule for reimbursement. Boomers were not computer literate and relied heavily on the new nurses to teach them the basics. It was the perfect storm for hospitals and healthcare professionals due to the aging population and shortages across all specialty areas. With decreased enrollment in nursing schools nationwide, it was hard to remain optimistic about what things would look like in 10 to 20 years. I decided it was time for me to go back to school and get my Master’s.
“The next phase of my journey will be to lead the new generation of nurses to become great healthcare leaders”
I must have found Aspen University online by accident, and I am forever grateful that I did. I wasn’t sure if I could afford to go back to school, and I questioned if it would make a salary difference for me—a 56-year-old expert nurse. These were all things I had to consider. When I found out that classes were only eight weeks long and were flexible to fit your lifestyle, I was sold. The best thing of all was that I was able to pay a flat monthly fee until it was paid off and without interest. My husband supported my decision, and the rest is history.
And here I am, a graduate of Aspen University. To be completely honest, I did occasionally think of reasons not to finish the program. But I also thought back to my days at NSU and decided that this would not be a repeat of the defeat. Those thoughts were all I needed to keep me going and helped me find the perseverance I once knew. The next phase of my journey will be to lead the new generation of nurses to become great healthcare leaders. Mentoring the younger generation is what I can personally contribute, and I appreciate all the years of learning that I’ve been through and can now share.
The future depends on the salt and pepper generation to lead the way and leave an imprint on their nursing legacy.