Have you often thought when you find out a co-worker is working on a graduate degree, “That’s not for me — I don’t have the time or the money and besides I enjoy what I am doing now”? I did not seek a graduate degree until my children were in high school and after beginning; I wish I had started on that journey earlier! Let’s address some of the myths.

• I do not have time in my life right now.
  I delayed a pursuing graduate degree because I thought I would be on campus as much as undergraduate classes require. Many graduate nursing programs offer online and on campus options or a combination. I often advise nurses, just stick your toe in the water and try one class. You can fit the assignments in your life no matter what shift you are currently working. Just trying one class a semester is “doable”

• I am not sure I can afford the tuition
  There are many options-private and public colleges. There are scholarships and some employers offer tuition reimbursement. It is an employee benefit-check it out!

• I have not been in school in years. I am not sure I am smart enough for graduate school.
  I hear this one a lot. You are smart-you are a RN and passed boards! Hands down for most nurses, our first program is the most difficult whether it was a BSN, diploma or AD program. You will be pleasantly surprised that a graduate degree builds on your existing knowledge and you will be encouraged to focus on your specialty area for assignments. You will often be able to combine an assignment with a project you wanted to do at work anyway. Plus for all of us “seasoned” nurses, when we have to use an example from practice, we have years of case studies and examples to use in assignments.

• I really enjoy being at the bedside, I don’t want to do anything different right now
  Great! We need advanced degree nurses using their expertise and practicing evidence based practice in every setting. A graduate degree will open doors that you may not even think about right now. There may be an amazing opportunity that will come your way that requires an advanced degree.

• I am not sure I can keep up with the technology now-discussion boards and on line classes.
  I was not confident either, however if you have middle or high school age children or neighbors, they will enjoy helping you. You will quickly adjust just as you have to EMRs.

I share all these myths because this is what I heard as I was working on my MSN and then a PhD. I began my MSN part time at the age of 50 when I was working about 24 hours a week and had all three children still at home. I did not intend to pursue a doctorate degree, however I became fascinated at the opportunity to influence care through research.

I started on my PhD one year after completing my MSN. I worked full-time during my PhD journey and I completed it within 4 ½ years. To add to the craziness, all three of my children got married during this time. It has now been a year since I graduated and I am an assistant professor at a university. I am able to continue to work occasionally in a clinical setting, conduct research, and teach the next generation of maternal child nurses.  I never would have dreamed that this would be my journey when I began taking that first graduate course. Therefore, if you are considering giving it a try, jump in, the water really is great. There are many others ready to encourage you along the way.

Janet Tucker is an assistant professor at the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing, where she is currently teaching maternal child nursing. She completed her MSN in 2010 and PhD in 2017. Her research interests are expectant women experiencing a fetal anomaly diagnosis.

AWHONN Resources

With generous support from individual and corporate donors, AWHONN’s Every Woman, Every Baby charitable giving program provides the opportunities to AWHONN members to apply for research grants and project grants who work in continue to improve the health of mothers, babies and their families. Additionally, AWHONN’s commitment to support emerging leaders also provides opportunities to apply to academic scholarships and enhance their professional development through attending AWHONN’s Annual Convention and information of education resources. , For more information on AWHONN scholarships and professional development opportunities visit http://www.awhonn.org/page/awards

At some point in their life, every person is called upon to lead.

As perinatal nurses, the call to lead may come from many directions. Perhaps you have a friend or loved one who needs to make an important decision about a pregnancy or birth experience and looks to you for advice. You base that advice on current evidence and your experience as a nurse; if we are honest, we acknowledge that our own birth experiences (if we have them) influence the advice given to others. Those who ask our advice look to us as leaders in nursing, even if we consider ourselves (to use a phrase I really dislike) “just a nurse”. At the bedside, we lead by advocating for our patients and families, by mentoring new nurses, and by participating in unit improvement activities.

Some nurses feel more comfortable than others with the notion that all nurses are leaders. Some nurses want to brush up or build upon their leadership skills. Did you know there are options to develop such skills tailored especially for  perinatal nurses?

AWHONN established the Emerging Leader Program (ELP) in 2008 to promote leadership development among AWHONN members. Emerging Leaders participate on AWHONN national committees, are exposed to leadership concepts and are assigned mentors along the way. I have grown as a leader myself by working alongside AWHONN’s Emerging Leaders who enthusiastically represent AWHONN in their workplaces and at the chapter, section and national levels. It is fun to watch AWHONN Emerging Leaders in action while they are in the program and in the years following their completion.  The application process for the ELP opens each September and all AWHONN members with more than one year of membership are eligible to apply. You may be asked by an Emerging Leader  to serve as their mentor.  This opportunity is well worth your time- say yes!

In my last health system role, I had the opportunity to participate in the Maternal Child Health (MCH) Leadership Academy through Sigma Theta Tau, an 18 month leadership development program. In this program, a mentor and mentee apply as a team, called a dyad, and propose a specific evidence-based project, which is presented at the Sigma Theta Tau biennial convention. Our lactation consultant decided to apply as a mentee, proposing a project to improve exclusive breastmilk feeding rates in our region, and asked me to serve as her mentor. With the support of our health system, we applied and were accepted. The MCH Leadership Academy dyads are assigned a Leadership Academy faculty member, based on the subject area of the proposed project. In our case, we worked with Diane Spatz, one of the best-known lactation experts in the United States (and an AWHONN member) who made two trips to our facility in Tennessee, giving our entire team the opportunity to learn from her expertise.

During this 10 month period my own leadership skills grew as I participated as a mentor for the MCH Leadership Academy and learned from expert faculty.

I am happy to report that exclusive breastmilk feeding rates really did increase in our institution, my mentee increased her own leadership skills and I grew along with her!

As perinatal nurses, we are lucky to have two formal programs for leadership development. Please consider learning more about AWHONN’s Emerging Leader Program (apply in Fall, 2016) and Sigma Theta Tau’s Maternal Child Health (MCH) Leadership Academy (accepting applications through Jan 3, 2016!). If you have the chance, be a mentor.

Above all, never forget that we are all leaders!

Cathy Ivory, PhD, RNC-OB
As Immediate Past President, Cathy now chairs AWHONN’s Nominating Committee and also serves on the Development Committee. Her vision for AWHONN’s future includes continuing to grow support for AWHONN’s charitable giving program, Every Woman, Every Baby; building membership and collaborations with other organizations, corporate partners, physicians and midwives; and furthering research.