Veteran Nurse Earning MSN from American Sentinel University to Bolster Career as Nursing Educator

Many nurses pursue a Master of Science Nursing (MSN) degree online to expand their career opportunities and professional growth.

Nancy Seebert, of Gresham, Oregon, a nurse for 48 years is no different.

After working in hospitals since she was 13 years old, Seebert, a BSN graduate of Boston University has just about done it all in her nursing career.

Seebert’s wide range of experience ranges from working in the intensive care unit to supervising clinical operations to acting as an assistant director of home hospice and home infusion.

In 2000, she earned a master’s in business communication, which led her to organizational and workforce development. She spent almost 12 years with Providence Health and Services, the third largest not-for-profit in the U.S., where she worked in management and leadership development. She then moved to Legacy Health System in 2009.

Testing the Retirement Waters
In 2011, Seebert retired as Legacy’s clinical documentation specialist, but retirement didn’t suit her. “That lasted about seven months,” she laughs. Seebert realized that she wasn’t ready to stop working entirely.

“I was ready for the next phase of my life.” Seebert warmed to the idea of teaching and got a foot in the door at Carrington College in Portland. She became a nursing instructor in the LPN program and discovered a new passion. When Carrington closed its doors in 2014, Nancy joined ITT Technical Institute’s Breckinridge School of Nursing as an adjunct faculty member.

Eyeing the MSN
In February 2016, Nancy joined Linfield College School of Nursing as an adjunct faculty member in the BSN and RN programs.

“I had grown to accept that I would need an MSN to get a full-time teaching position at Linfield,” she says. With the support of her husband and her Linfield supervisor, she set about finding the right program and discovered American Sentinel University.

“My first master’s degree was online, so I was familiar with the learning environment,” she says. “Cost was a major consideration, and I was also impressed with the university from the moment I made my first phone call.”

“Most nurse educators have extensive clinical experience and many like Nancy Seebert, often feel a calling and are highly satisfied with their work and find the interaction with students quite rewarding. Nurse educators take pride in the role they play in preparing nurses to care for their patients,” says Karen Whitham, Ed.D., MSN, RN, CNE, and Associate Dean, RN to BSN, MSN, and General Education Programs at American Sentinel University. Dr. Whitham is also a certified nurse educator and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Honor Society of Nursing.

Dr. Whitham says that nursing education is an in-demand career that offers a high level of job security, opportunities for advancement and great personal reward.

Nancy started the MSN, nursing education specialization, in June 2016. She’s enjoying the program and is so eager to complete it that she is taking two or three courses per eight-week term so that she can finish by May 2017 and attend graduation in June.

Fulfilling a Dream
Seebert is getting used to the surprised reactions when she tells people she is earning an MSN at this stage in her career. She says her rationale is simple.

“I’m doing this because I want to,” she says. “It’s a goal of mine to teach at a higher level. I have a drive to learn so that I can help my students grow and fulfill their potential as they start their nursing careers.”

Seebert says she’s learning a great deal from her MSN classes that can immediately be applied in her teaching. “I love sharing my experiences and knowledge with students,” she says. “Seeing them grow and become enthusiastic about their futures is why I’m enjoying it there so much.”

Dr. Whitham says nurse educators like Nancy Seebert are important to the future of nursing because they help shape nurses who will have an impact on many patients, families, and other nurses long after the initial interaction.

“Nurse educators play a critical role in healthcare by serving as role models for future nurses and providing the leadership needed to implement evidence-based nursing practice required to strengthen the nursing profession,” adds Dr. Whitham.

Learn more about American Sentinel University’s online Master of Science Nursing Education Program at
https://www.americansentinel.edu/nursing/m-s-nursing/m-s-nursing-nursing-education

About American Sentinel University
American Sentinel University delivers accredited online degree programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP) and healthcare management (MBA Healthcare, M.S. Information Systems Management, and M.S. Business Intelligence and Analytics). Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), of One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, D.C., 20036. The DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga., 30326. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, DEAC, 1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 234-5100, www.deac.org

For required student consumer information, please visit: www.americansentinel.edu/doe

About American Sentinel University

American Sentinel University delivers accredited online degree programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP) and healthcare management (MBA Healthcare, M.S. Information Systems Management, and M.S. Business Intelligence and Analytics). Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), of One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, D.C., 20036. The DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga., 30326. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, DEAC, 1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 234-5100, www.deac.org

In June 2016, the Higher Education Commission Board of Trustees voted to grant American Sentinel University the status of candidate for accreditation. Institutions seeking accreditation by HLC are required to complete a period of candidacy before being evaluated for full accreditation. To earn and maintain candidacy, American Sentinel must fully meet the Commission’s Eligibility Requirements and Assumed Practices and demonstrate the capacity to meet all the Criteria for Accreditation within the candidacy period.

Please note, the MBA Healthcare Project-Based program is pending review for inclusion in the university’s programs covered by the Higher Learning Commission designation of candidate for accreditation.

For required student consumer information, please visit: www.americansentinel.edu/doe