Josh and I moved to Nashville last August for me to continue in Vanderbilt's accelerated MSN program. We saw the transition as an adventure and as a pursuit of a dream.
In 2007, I first heard about Vanderbilt’s MSN program from a nurse practitioner I met in Kenya named Robin. Robin worked at Tenwick hospital and was leading community health and development efforts in the surrounding rural areas. God was using her, in essence, to build an actual health care system and plant churches in an unreached, underserved area in the country. During my time in Kenya, God showed me through Robin that health care could be such a tangible asset to introducing the good news to people. This quickly became my dream.
After returning to the states, I decided to whole-heartedly strive
toward Vanderbilt. I transferred
to an undergraduate school in east Tennessee, Bryan College, that had a
friendly relationship with this big Southern university. My advisor, who became my mentor in
many ways, encouraged me to take every biology class and participate in every
extracurricular possible. I painstakingly
increased my GPA, took the GRE, wrote numerous essays, and participated in
several face-to-face and phone interviews. Then, God stepped in, I was accepted into the program and
the rest is history!
In 2010, I completed the first year of
Vanderbilt’s accelerated MSN program, passed the NCLEX, and decided to move
home and take a year off from the program. God showed me that I needed to rejuvenate, refocus, and relearn contentment.
After working as a RN in a family practice, I returned to Vanderbilt to complete
the family nurse practitioner program.
I have heard it said, “Don’t choose a school based on how
much it costs.” After my time at
Vanderbilt, I have to agree.
Vanderbilt is definitely not the cheapest route to a nursing degree, but
the program has exceeded my expectations. Academically, I have been pushed toward excellence and
accuracy in every course and in every assignment. We memorize pharmacology, mentally process global health care
infrastructure, and kinesthetically learn from our preceptorships. Although, I
wish we had more semesters and courses in some ways. It is difficult to learn everything about family medicine in
3 semesters!!! Not only is the faculty scholarly in their field, there are
professors who love Jesus, pray for us, and have a background in international
community health and church planting.
They have motivation for being a part of this sacrificial, tiring, not
always rewarding profession.
I am just so thankful for my experience here at Vanderbilt
no matter what it has cost, financially, emotionally, or time-wise. The program is making great efforts to
prepare me for this next season as a nurse. I am so thankful that Josh and I made the choice to return
and praise God for providing the opportunity!
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| the adult hospital |
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| the nursing school |
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| 21st Ave |
