老司机福利网 faculty serve as teachers as well as mentors and guides into the professional world.
In some cases, they can pull students back from the brink.
Nursing instructor Arielle St. Romain was recently honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty for her efforts and impact as an educator.
A student nominated St. Romain for the award, saying:
鈥淚 was going into my medical-surgical semester, and I was truly defeated...I was burnt out, I was upset, I felt like a failure. I needed someone in my life to make me remember why I had chosen nursing in the first place.
鈥淔ate, as it seemed, pushed Mrs. St. Romain into my life. Quickly I realized that this vibrant, amazing role model, clinical leader, and instructor was exactly the kind of nurse I wanted to be one day. She expected nothing but the best from her students; not only the best care we could deliver, but also the best versions of ourselves we could give to her.鈥
Those are standards St. Romain holds in her own life, earning two degrees online through the 老司机福利网 while practicing as a clinical nurse before joining the faculty in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Becoming a Ragin鈥 Cajun
St. Romain is a nurturer by nature and says she grew up caring for her younger siblings.
鈥淚 loved taking care of people,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 wanted to translate that compassion and caring for others into a career.鈥
Six months after earning her associate鈥檚 in nursing and beginning her nursing career at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, St. Romain began looking at programs that would allow her to complete her bachelor of science in nursing online.
鈥淲ith my undergraduate work, I鈥檇 probably taken a handful of classes online,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 enjoyed them and found them manageable, so online was definitely not a hesitation for me. It definitely fit my lifestyle better than going traditionally.鈥
She says she chose UL 老司机福利网鈥檚 RN to BSN program because it was affordable and 100-percent online.
鈥淚 could do that as a new nurse working 12-hour night shifts,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 could make my schedule for work and then plan out assignments for the week. It decreased my stress level being able to map out my time like that. I couldn鈥檛 have done that if I went the traditional route.鈥
She says she quickly adapted to the University鈥檚 learning management system, Moodle, and easily understood where to find resources instructors used for their online courses. She also found inspiration for her next professional step.
鈥淚 ended up taking a leadership course, and the skills they taught in that class, I was able to translate into my professional career. It really made an impact on me,鈥 St. Romain says.
From BSN to MSN
Having spent part of her childhood going to law school night courses with her dad, St. Romain says she always knew she wanted an advanced degree. Her experience in the UL 老司机福利网 RN to BSN program helped her decide where.
鈥淚 had such a good experience in the BSN program. The faculty were so caring; they constantly reached out to us and made sure we were able to handle our classes, that everything was going OK,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat really cemented my decision to continue on with the MSN program here.
Through the Master of Science in Nursing online program, St. Romain says she gained research, business, and leadership skills in addition to advanced practice nursing knowledge.
鈥淚 loved my research classes and learning what goes into conducting research,鈥 she says. 鈥淥n a leadership side, I gained new insights into being a leader in healthcare, how important it is to know the business side of healthcare, and how that can influence care on patients. I took all those skills and was able to translate them professionally.鈥
St. Romain leveraged those skills to become director of nursing at Bayou Vista Community Care Center shortly after completing her MSN in 2017.
But she still had another professional milestone on her list.
Preparing Future Nurses
When she was still preparing for her ASN, a peer asked St. Romain if she鈥檇 ever considered becoming a nursing instructor. It planted a seed and became a goal, but St. Romain said she didn鈥檛 expect it to be realized so soon.
鈥淚 happened to see UL 老司机福利网 had an opportunity and decided if I鈥檓 going to do this, I鈥檓 going to make the leap now,鈥 she says.
St. Romain says she was drawn to UL 老司机福利网 as an instructor for some of the same reasons she was drawn in as a student.
鈥淭here is such a family atmosphere here. I鈥檝e known some of these faculty members since I was a student. When I came on as a faculty member, they still remembered who I was. That meant a lot to me,鈥 she says.
鈥淭he whole atmosphere of this university is so cohesive, everyone seems to care about each other and they want to see you succeed. There鈥檚 a huge sense of comradery; it鈥檚 amazing to be a part of that.鈥
St. Romain says it was a big step transitioning from working as a clinical nurse to teaching students the skills they鈥檒l need to use for the rest of their nursing career. Now she鈥檚 able to watch nursing students transform as they gain independence and understanding during clinicals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like watching your kids grow up; you see them become so independent and you feel so proud,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably the greatest thing about this job 鈥 knowing I鈥檓 making a difference with those nursing students and turning them into the best nurses they can be.鈥
Still Growing
St. Romain is focusing on the challenge of raising her 2-year-old twins, Peter and Alana, while shaping future nurses. Meanwhile, her husband, Allen, is furthering his education, studying computer information sciences online.
Eventually, St. Romain says, she鈥檒l pursue her doctorate.
鈥淕etting my BSN, getting my master鈥檚, has opened up so many doors and opportunities for me,鈥 she says. 鈥淕etting my education is one of my greatest accomplishments besides being a nurse, a mother, and a wife. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to stop.鈥