‘There’s not one day that’s the same’: Finding purpose-driven variety through online education
Angela Syphaseut
Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN FNP)
Angela Syphaseut has always enjoyed variety in her nursing career. She likes her work to be meaningful, fresh, and exciting. It was this thirst for knowledge and skills that motivated Angela to seek the Maryville online Master of Science in Nursing.
“Some people get used to being in a particular setting and can become sort of callous. It becomes more of a task,” explains Angela. “If I ever got like that, I would want to leave nursing, because I don’t want it to lack meaning.”
Angela was also attracted to the Maryville online Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN FNP) specialization to inspire her daughter.
“It feels great to know that I’m her hero, to know that she looks up to me, and that she wants to emulate my career and some of the choices that I’ve made,” says Angela. “I mean, I would love to be an inspiration to everybody, but to be an inspiration to your child, you know that they’re seeing something positive and something good in you — that means so much. And I want to encourage her to be strong and, whatever she chooses to pursue, she would put her heart and her passion toward it. I’ve tried to teach her that you want to love what you do.”
It feels great to know that I’m her hero. To be an inspiration to your child means so much.
Online flexibility — and real-world support
Angela wanted online availability, flexibility, and a personal touch to her degree experience. She found all three in Maryville from day one.
“Right from the very beginning, the Maryville messaging, the people, the support from my advisors — it all spoke to me,” she says. “With Maryville, I have never once felt like a number in the mix or that I was just a dollar sign in somebody’s eyes. Questions have been welcomed. Folks have been accessible.”
Angela has been impressed by her instructors and their weekly lectures and has also felt the human connection of being in a classroom, even as an online student.
“I’ve been really impressed with my current instructor and her weekly lectures, and I feel like I’m sitting in a classroom again,” says Angela. “For me, that’s been very powerful to be many miles away but still feel connected. My instructor has made it interesting and pertinent to what’s going on.”
Angela felt she received the same quality of support from Maryville that she’d once gotten when she attended a local college — even when studying 100% online.
Distance doesn’t have to be a problem. I felt like Maryville was right there with me.
Learning “the why” in the connected, virtual classroom
After Angela started her degree, she found even the smallest details from her coursework to be insightful and applicable to her day-to-day responsibilities. In addition, Angela has enjoyed the variety of what she’s learned and has been surprised to see the alignment in her education with current FNP job postings.
“I feel like the family nurse practitioner route will give me more opportunities,” she says. “I applaud folks who go into other areas, but for me, just having the broader option that would allow me to go into different things in the future [is good] because I’m still not altogether sure where I will end up.”
Angela also is excited about the prospect of more manageable work hours as a nurse practitioner, where 9-to-5 is the norm instead of 12-hour shifts, which she finds valuable as a mother and wife.
“Throughout my nursing career, I have tried to give 100% of myself to nursing, but as I’m growing into the role of being a good parent and really supporting my kids, I realize that I can’t be a good nurse unless I’m good to myself and my family first,” she says.
Angela also credits her progress with taking essential steps each day to bravely overcome challenges and hurdles. With Maryville Online, she is connected to the expertise necessary to keep her nursing career fresh and exciting. Angela finds fulfillment in career variety so that she can practice creativity and critical thinking while avoiding stagnation.
Knowing the why — knowing the reason that I’m doing what I’m doing — gives me the strength and the encouragement to move forward.
Angela knows her journey as an online student is only the beginning, but one observation is clear: Her purpose-driven education has complemented the values and principles that she holds dear.
So can you. Like Angela, you can add more variety to your skillset and expand the potential of your nursing career with Maryville Online. Our online nurse practitioner degrees and certificates offer the flexibility you need as you build your expertise and broaden your career opportunities.
If you’re ready to see how Maryville Online can help you be brave and pursue your educational and professional goals, we’re here for you. Check out our online bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorate degrees, or schedule a call with an advisor today.
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