...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Stacy Maahs HCS/504 Jill Grundy June 6, 2014 Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success My personal plan for success as I pursue my master’s degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program is multi-leveled. Among other things, I believe stubbornness is one of my attributes; this in itself may turn out to be quite helpful to me over the next three years. “With self-regulated learning, students use several specific subprocesses to achieve self-directed learning goals in real-world contexts. Effective self-regulated learners select, structure, and create environments that optimize their learning” (Kumrow, 2001, p. 140). To me, this simply means that my success in this program is up to me. My ability to control my feelings of stress and anxiety, as well as juggle being a mother, wife and full-time employee will determine my success to an extent. I am certainly motivated to succeed. I plan to discuss my goals, challenges to meeting them, and ways to improve my communication skills in my pursuit of being a master’s degree prepared FNP. Personal and Professional Goals I have never prioritized setting personal or professional “goals” for myself, yet I would not profess to have wandered haphazardly through life either. I have an internal set of high standards that I maintain for myself and those around me. I was raised by two parents in the Midwest with an incredible work ethic; being taught...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success XXXXXXXXXXX HCS 504 January 22, 2012 Dr. William Weeks Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success The unchecked block that has plagued like a festering boil on the derriere of life for the last decade as a requirement for rank is how I have viewed graduate school. Until this point in my life I lacked the direction necessary to know what I wanted to study in graduate school, it is that simple. I dabbled and knew, by past performance, I did not want to blindly follow, like a lemming, the paths taken by most of my colleagues: Anesthesia, family practice, critical care, or psychology. Like everything in my life, I had to be unconventional and find my own path and in my own time. This is but a brief introduction, my personal and professional goals, methods of coping with life, the ability (or inability) to communicate, and why I chose this advanced time in my life to pursue a graduate course of instruction. Professionally, I am a Lieutenant in the Nurse Corps (NC) of the United States Navy and a 24- Navy man. Personally, I am the loving and devoted husband to Debby, doting father to Millie and Mike and grandfather to Zack. If truth be told, I sometimes forget myself and have difficulty separating the military man from the family man, a problem my wife quickly remedies. My goals follow a semi-rigid construction professionally, I am anything but a conventional NC officer, but I desire...
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...Answering a Calling to Graduate Study: Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Considering the pursuit of a graduate level education is a decision that should be well thought out. Success, whether academic or professional, is something desired by everyone at some point in life. It is important to decide carefully what goals one wants to accomplish and how a graduate degree will help. Once the goals are set, and the decision is made to go back to school, additional research and careful consideration is given in deciding what type of program to attend. There are basic considerations, including program and cost, but the future student should also consider that not all programs are created equal. Graduate study programs often have different objectives and focus (Kuther, PhD, 2013). It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that the program of choice matches his or her desired learning preferences. I knew I wanted to be a nurse from the time I started college, and it did not take long working in the field to determine that I was meant for health care management. My BSN and management ability has enabled me to work my way up to a senior management position, as the Chief Nursing Officer, at a rural hospital. I believe that by obtaining the MSN/MHA dual degree, doors will continue to open in health care administration. For this reason, I have found my way back to school and I am a proud virtual student at University of Phoenix...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Up until a few months ago, I thought my formal educational challenges were behind me. As I draft this first paper of my continuing studies, I look back to those nights I spent in the computer hall at the University of Maryland in the early1990’s, waiting for an open computer and writing paper upon paper. I remember the stress, tears, and heartache, but I also remember my achievements, and the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally earned my degree. There were many challenges back then, but I achieved my personal and professional goal of becoming a Medical Technologist and working in the laboratory field and this has served me well. Now begins a new chapter of my life, with new goals, new strengths and weaknesses, and a fresh understanding of what I need to do to move forward in both my life and my career. Personal and Professional Goals My personal and professional goals are intertwined, and motivation is what drives those goals in order to help me succeed. Scientists have observed and documented “reasons why individuals choose to engage or disengage in different activities, and how individuals’ beliefs, values, and goals relate to their achievement behaviors” (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002, Conclusion, para. 1). I have experienced first-hand what it felt like not to have a goal when graduated with my Bachelor’ and entered the professional...
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...becoming registered nurse became my focus in life. My journey began at the local community college. After completing forty credits I transferred to a bachelor degree program. Attending evening classed while working two jobs, with no family in the country was difficult. With a strong work ethic and determination, I successfully handled the challenges that I faced and became more resilient. Having worked as a registered nurse for almost four years, I have decided that I am ready to further my education. Health care is constantly evolving are with a greater need for advanced degree nurses. Throughout my time working in the hospital setting, education had become an area that interests me. All aspects of education within the hospital interest me, whether it involves patients, nursing students or new employees. Unfortunately, with constant financial cuts within health care, nurses often find themselves with very little time to spend educating their patients. I have decided to peruse my MSN in education so that I can eventually teach at a college level. Working for only six months in my first position as a registered nurse, I was faced with the challenge of being the charge nurse. Being in a leadership role seemed to come naturally. Some staff member’s refuse to take the role of charge nurse because they fear having more responsibility. Being challenged within my...
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...A Personal Reflection: Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Success Returning to graduate school is a major decision in one's professional life. Although there are many benefits to returning to school to earn a graduate degree, it is also very challenging. This article discusses the challenges of graduate school as well as several tips for success. Keywords: Education, Graduate school, Masters' programs [DIMENS CRIT CARE NURS. 2007;26( 4):158-159] The decision to pursue graduate studies should not be taken lightly. Decisions should be made after serious consideration of personal and professional goals. One must evaluate the variety of programs offered, whether traditional on campus versus online classroom, cost of continuing education, financial aid availability, employment while in school, time allotment to complete studies, computer program technical skills, and computer/library access, to obtain a master's degree. Graduate programs should help the student acquire 3 core competencies. Woolcock[ 1] lists these 3 skills as detective (data collection, analysis, and interpretation), translator (reframing given ideas for diverse groups), and diplomat (negotiation, conflict mediation, and deal making). Benefits of a master's degree include intellectual improvement, personal development, acquisition of enhanced verbal/writing skills, advancement in career positions, and networking with peers and colleagues. According to Leung,[ 2] graduates of master's degrees are...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success HCS/504 August 6, 2012 John Dean Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success According to Linda Weston Kramer “Retuning to graduate school is a major decision in one’s professional life. Although there are many benefits to returning to school to earn a graduate degree, it is also very challenging” (Kramer, 2007, p. 158.). This essay discusses various challenges faced by graduate students, and strategies to overcome the challenges, from personal perspective. Personal and professional goals It is important to set personal and career goals before pursuing graduate study. Students need to discover the various courses offered, and select the one suit for them. This contributes a great deal of success because they choose what they want to, and where they want to reach. Goal setting and working toward achieving the goal is the key for success. My main long-term goal is career development. I want to complete my program within two years and find a job in Nursing/Informatics and go up in the ladder. When considering my short-term goal, I want to keep my GPA above 3.5, and acquire as much knowledge from this program by using the resources available. I want to improve my communication skills both written and verbal, and graduate study is the best platform for achieving that goal. It is important to prioritize the goals and choose the right path. Self-assessment and closely checking the measurable...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Grace Edwards University of Phoenix Introduction to Graduate Study in Health Science/Nursing (HCS/504) Kirk Davis February 3, 2013 Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Pursuing a graduate degree creates many opportunities and comes with many challenges, such as balancing work and attending school and adjusting to the increase workload of school (M. Schlemper, 2011). Utilizing the right coping strategies will help in overcoming these challenges. As I make this important decision to pursue the Masters of Science in nursing degree there are several questions that need to be answered. The aim of writing this paper is to give the reasons for pursuing a graduate degree including my short and long- term goals. The challenges I will face achieving these goals and the strategies I will use to overcome them. I will be analyzing my strength and weakness in regard to personal communication and strategies to improve my communication skills. Each individual have differ reasons for pursuing a graduate degree. These reasons can be personal or professional, which include a feeling of achievement and personal success and increasing their competency (Plunkett, Iwasiw & Keer, 2010). Acquiring new knowledge and skill has been imperative in my nursing career, as providing evidence base care requires me to keep abreast of the current trends in nursing...
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...The Winding Road to Success HCS/504 01,23,2012 Dr. Tracy Lane The Winding Road to Success The winding road to success is a road that leads to personal and professional growth. This road is not a road without challenges or obstacles. Her professional goal of becoming a health care organization’s administrator or chief executive officer is dependent on successful completion of her graduate degree in Master’s of Health Administration. Her dreams of completing a master’s degree and subsequently earning a doctoral degree have been her personal goals for many years. Achieving both her personal and professional goals would amplify her professional career. Pursuing her graduate degree has been a personal goal of hers dating back to her adolescent years. She is a strong advocate for continuing education and firm believer that education is the key to success. Openjuru (2011) stated “lifelong learning and lifelong education are two concepts that aim at widening access to and the participation of adult learners in the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, values and attitudes” (p. 55). She chose to pursue her graduate degree to improve her job skills and performance, advance her career, increase her financial earnings, and to influence her family’s desire to achieve more. According to a study conducted by Schlechter and Milevsky (2010) “parents with higher levels of education are effecting their children’s...
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...The Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Yesenia Osle Introduction to graduate study in health sciences/nursing/HCS504 10/07/2014 Michelle Dorin The Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success The price of success is hard work, dedication the job at hand,and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand” (“Success,” 2004, para. ). Sometimes, we considered a successful person when he or she is millionaire, or has the car of the year or own a beautiful big house. I know a person that do not have the car of the year because they are using that money to pay the college for their children. I also know people that do not have a big house because their goal is to have two vacations time every year with all their family. Success is more than a beautiful house, is achieved all your goals and put hard work into them. Success is more than the car of the year, is having wisdom of getting up every time we fall. Personal and professional goals On January 2014, one of my goals was to go back to school and start a master in Nursing Education. Since I was a teen, I was in the debate between being a nurse or a teacher. I decided to be a nurse because I can do both things at the same time. It has been eight years since I graduated and loved it, but I think that it is time to the pursuit my other dream witch is being an educator. Also, with the Master in nursing education...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This famed quotation by one of the most influential American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, inspired me toward my journey to pursue graduate study. Taking the first step toward this journey is the most difficult. I understood that challenges will be inevitable in this path and implementing strategies to face these challenges is crucial for my success. I gained significant experience in both my academic and professional career over the years. I realize that I have the determination to accomplish goals and the necessary means to envision success. I have a variety of reasons I chose to pursue graduate study, both personal, and professional. Personally, I want to teach my children the importance of education in one’s life and to inspire them to aim for academic excellence. Professionally, I am very passionate about Nursing and about improving the quality of care given to patients. My ultimate goal is to influence change in the health care field as an educator or as an administrator. I want to inspire others to be excited with Nursing and be more involved in creating best practices that affects health care. I also want to ensure that I am more marketable to advance in my career. Graduate study paves the way toward the realization of these aspirations. Three Challenges that I will face in Meeting my Goals ...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal success The decision to start school again can be challenging for anyone, and the adult graduate student faces their unique set of challenges. The adult student is, usually, facing an act of balancing academic life and personal life responsibilities. In addition to that, the online learner has different challenges compared to the traditional student. I’m now starting to learn about these challenges such as time management, self-motivation and what it truly means to be an online student. I’m starting to develop my strategies for success through better communication, time management and realistic goals. Personal and Professional Goals The concept of a goal for me is a unique ambition that I’m striving to achieve. Goals can start to build from personal values. As a child, I grew up with parents with no strong formal education. My mother pushed her children and herself out of project housing to reach her goals. She instilled education in me to be a tool that no one could take away from me, and a means to move forward in life. She showed me with strong work ethic success is possible. My personal goal is to achieve my master’s degree to set a strong example for my children the same as my mother did for me. My professional goals for perusing master’s degrees are to become more established in my career. In nursing, there is a glass ceiling without furthering my education I feel I have met that ceiling. Education can only add to my...
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...Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success 2you HCS/504 April 8, 2013 Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success Pursuing a graduate degree creates many opportunities and comes with many challenges, such as balancing work and attending school and adjusting to the increased workload of school (M. Schlemper, 2011). Finding balance with time management and stress management can be a challenge within itself. Now that I have decided to make this important decision to pursue my educational goals to obtain a Master’s degree in nursing there were several questions that I had to ask of myself. How am I going to afford school, how do I manage my schedule, how do I keep my family intact and most importantly how do I maintain my sanity? I researched several schools to view the various programs offered. Applied for financial aid and discussed my educational goals with my employer and spouse. Every person has a reason for pursuing a graduate degree, for some it is to enhance their career path and others it is a requirement of their organization. These reasons can be personal or professional, which include a feeling of achievement and personal success and increasing their competency (Plunkett Iwasiw & Keer, 2010). Personal and professional reasons for acquiring a graduate degree was so that I could advance my career path as well as enhance my knowledge base and be able to provide an evidence base practice that is required to keep up with the...
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...present, WritePoint cannot detect quotations or block-quotes, so comments in those areas should be ignored. Please see the other helpful writing resources in the Tutorials and Guides section of the Center for Writing Excellence. Thank you for using WritePoint. Personal Plan to Succeed Doreen M. Giglio University of Phoenix Success has many definitions. But [In academic writing, avoid starting a sentence with a conjunction ] my choice is the basic definition of Mierriam-Webster (2011) who defines success as “The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted” (p. 1). Basically, success is the goal or goals that we [Use "we,"...
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...Graduate School: Overcoming Barriers to Success Kasey Kiesler HCS/504 September 24, 2012 Professor Brenda Harton Graduate School: Overcoming Barriers to Success The decision to attend graduate school can be one of immense commitment and responsibility. Success requires rigorous planning and well-defined goals, both short-term and long-term. Exceptional communication skills are also necessary to interact effectively with fellow classmates and faculty. Although completion of a Master’s program opens doors to many professional career opportunities, it does not come without challenges. One also must have several strategies in place for dealing with these challenges when they arise. With determination and hard work, overcoming these barriers will lead to success. Personal and Professional Goals Pursuing graduate studies can be a very personal decision. More individuals are looking into higher education degrees to combat the negative effects of a poor economy on their families (McKelvie, 2009). Providing financial stability to one’s family is a readily attainable goal by obtaining a Master’s degree. Achievement of this goal is appreciated when exceeding the basic needs of family members, financial obligations are met within deadlines, and a spouse can stay at home more often and spend additional time with children. Personal goals may center on passion for one’s career. Graduate school is an admirable choice for those...
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