My name is Jenna Rice, and I am a part-time student in the Nursing@Simmons Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. I have a full-time job as an occupational health nurse at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), where we service up to 50,000 employees annually. I’m also a single mom to an amazing 11-year-old daughter. In addition to working at JHH, I fill in as a staff nurse on a neuro/cardiac unit and serve as camp nurse for Harford Community College in Maryland. I already have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in leadership and management, and I will have a second master’s in August 2018 from Simmons University!

I’ve always wanted the autonomy of an FNP and have a desire to do medical missions. Completing the Nursing@Simmons FNP program will allow me to do both. I hope that the leadership skills I obtain will help me in the future to form a nonprofit for other nurses and practitioners who want to offer their skills to underprivileged populations.

I decided to further my education with Nursing@Simmons because the program has a fantastic board pass rate, and the online classes fit well into my schedule. I had taken online classes before but was not able to actually engage with the faculty and my classmates. The online classes from Nursing@Simmons allow me to attend live, synchronous sessions where I can interact and learn in real time with my professors and peers.

The best things about earning my MSN online from Simmons are the opportunity to gain perspectives from other nurses around the country and the assistance provided by the clinical placement team in finding my clinical placement sites and preceptors. My student support specialist and clinical placement specialist have been phenomenal. They always have my best interest as their first priority and want to continue to help me succeed as a Nursing@Simmons student.

My immersion weekend experience was exciting, nerve-wracking, and fun all at the same time. It was reassuring to be with other like-minded individuals who understand the plight of being a student on top of everything else we have in our lives. When we all finally met in person, it was like being with family who you’ve known forever. We encouraged and helped each other through the physical exam, and we deepened our friendships that will last a lifetime! The suturing workshop was especially great, and all of the faculty and staff were fantastic and helpful throughout the entire weekend. Overall, the immersion experience has been the best part of the program so far.

After graduation from Nursing@Simmons, I hope to find a job in primary care before exploring a specialty. I plan to become involved in medical missions both in and outside the United States to further provide underprivileged areas with access to health care and medical assistance.

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