Ashley Navarre always thought she wanted to be a nurse, and when her grandfather杏吧专区檚 health deteriorated after a hospital visit, she knew nursing was her destiny.
杏吧专区淗e went to a hospital down here because he was dehydrated and had an enlarged prostate, and they used the wrong catheter, pierced his prostate and he declined after that,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淗e went into the hospital walking and talking, and he came out on hospice.
杏吧专区淎s a family, we had to care for him around 24 hours a day, and as I sat with him and cared for him, the experience just spoke to me 杏吧专区 nursing was my calling. This is what I want to do.杏吧专区
Things got serious for Navarre after that.
She admitted that her grades weren杏吧专区檛 the best in high school, but she managed to get into the Delgado Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans by the skin of her teeth.
杏吧专区淎 lot of people don杏吧专区檛 make it in that program, so getting into the program helped me focus and make sure that I made the grades to get out of it,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淚 basically walked away from a relationship because I had to make sure that I passed.杏吧专区
Shortly after earning her RN license, Navarre wanted to keep her educational momentum going. She enrolled in the杏吧专区RN to BSN online degree program杏吧专区痑t the 杏吧专区 after a friend explained the program and assured her that many Charity graduates had gone through the program.
杏吧专区淚 was in that school mode, that study mode, so I wanted to enroll and just go for it,杏吧专区 Navarre said. 杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 the type of person that has to keep going. I know that if I did not go back right then, I would never go back.杏吧专区
Finding a Better System Online
While earning her degree, Navarre spent her nights caring for patients with heart-related issues on the step-down Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) floor of East Jefferson Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana, and her mornings devoted to her online coursework.
杏吧专区淢y schedule was sometimes chaotic, but I'd find the time to do it,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淒oing the program online helped me juggle my schedule and find the time to study.杏吧专区
Navarre spent about two hours per day on her studies between her job as a nurse, her second job as a house supervisor for a nursing home and her side job running her own cosmetic company MKAsh Cosmetics. Though the schedule can be demanding, Navarre finds studies to be more manageable online.
杏吧专区淭he biggest difference between going to class online and going to class after work is that I wasn't trying to stay awake in class,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淚 could work overnight, come home, get some sleep and get up and study before I had to go back to work.杏吧专区
Even with a jam-packed schedule, Navarre杏吧专区檚 ability to focus on her studies helped her see a different side of patient care.
杏吧专区淭he first two classes were a refresher on what we learned in my RN school, but they had more about leadership,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淭hey helped me to better communicate with my patients and be able to meet their needs as their nurse.杏吧专区
Beyond improved communication skills, Navarre gained valuable insights on protecting patient safety.
杏吧专区淚 learned to think more about the environment my patients are in,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淚n a hospital, definitely, safety is a big thing, but it杏吧专区檚 really the professionalism used when you approach the patients and looking out for the things that maintain their safety at all times.杏吧专区
Thinking Ahead
Earning her BSN degree was a critical step to Navarre reaching her ultimate career goal of becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檝e always been interested in leadership, and becoming a nurse practitioner will open so many avenues for me,杏吧专区 she said.
Navarre developed her interest in psychiatric nursing working as an LPN for four years before earning her RN license.
杏吧专区淚 worked in memory care, so I dealt with a lot of people with dementia, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,杏吧专区 she said.
In March 2023, Navarre earned her MSN in Psychiatric Mental Health, solidifying her path toward becoming a nurse practitioner.
杏吧专区淛ust go for it杏吧专区 has been Navarre杏吧专区檚 mantra when it comes to her continuing education, and she believes it to be the best approach to higher learning.
杏吧专区淢y advice is to just keep going,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淎 lot of people I graduated with wanted to take a break from school before going back, but a lot of them took that break and never came back. It杏吧专区檚 really not as bad as it seems once you have a system in order. Just go for it!杏吧专区