Family is important to Shaunde Smith and Rheala ӰרShantelӰר Parker. ItӰרs where they derive their support to continue their education, and itӰרs the culture theyӰרve found within the Ӱר Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) online program.
The sisters are family nurse practitioners in their hometown of Silsbee, Texas, where they care for patients across the lifespan.
Silsbee, about 30 miles north of Beaumont, has a population of 6,611 residents Ӱר 16.6% of which live below the poverty line, as of the last census.
ӰרWe donӰרt have a lot of Medicaid or Medicare providers in a 30-mile radius,Ӱר says Parker, 44. ӰרSo we cover a large population of underserved Medicaid and Medicare patients. I donӰרt think there are any other providers that see from birth to about 10 years old, so weӰרre also the only ones who see those pediatric patients.Ӱר
The sisters began their nursing careers together as licensed practical nurses. Together, the two continued their education to become the first in their family to earn bachelorӰרs degrees, then mastersӰר degrees.
ӰרWe graduated the first one together, and hopefully weӰרll graduate last one together,Ӱר Smith, 49, says. ӰרI think that the support and the friendly competition pushes you to do a little better. When it gets rough and the time constraints hit you, you have that person to support you.Ӱר
As the only providers in the Silsbee Complete Healthcare Services clinic, Smith and Parker are driven to provide exceptional care. In 2018, the sisters decided to pursue their DNP degree online together through UL Lafayette.
ӰרNursing is continuously changing,Ӱר Parker says. ӰרAs I grew within my nursing career, I wanted more of a role in my patientӰרs day-to-day care and the ability to change things I felt were being missed in daily care.
ӰרTruly itӰרs to optimize the level of care I provide my patients, have that ability to become a leader among my community, and really be able to drive some of these interdisciplinary teams. I really want to push within my community for better healthcare for some of our underprivileged.Ӱר
In choosing a DNP program, the two family nurse practitioners knew they wanted a high-quality online program that would still give them access to faculty and a physical campus.
ӰרI donӰרt think thereӰרs any way I could do this program if it was not online,Ӱר Parker says. ӰרIt would have just been something unachievable for me. I have a daughter; IӰרm a single mom. ThereӰרs no way to carve out time at someone elseӰרs discretion of when I have to sit down and do everything; thatӰרs one of the greatest parts of the online program.Ӱר
UL Lafayette Ӱר annually recognized by U.S. News & World Report for its graduate nursing programs Ӱר quickly rose to the top of their short list.
ӰרWhen we called, Dr. (Jennifer) Lemoine got right on the phone; she answered all our questions,Ӱר Smith says. ӰרHer enthusiasm over the program, that really put UL (Lafayette) over the top. We were already leaning in that direction, but her enthusiasm, talking to us and welcoming us, made such a difference.Ӱר
Choosing to pursue a terminal degree can be a daunting task, if not an overwhelming prospect. To prepare students for whatӰרs to come, UL LafayetteӰרs online DNP program begins with a two-day orientation Ӱר on campus.
ӰרWeӰרd both had thoughts of, ӰרweӰרre just not sure Ӱר is this the right time?Ӱר Our parents are supportive, but theyӰרre not exactly young,Ӱר Parker says. ӰרWhen we went through orientation, we left knowing if thereӰרs a time, this is the place where we can do it.
ӰרThey made you comfortable with the courses, what was going to be required and gave you the feeling that they were there to support us. We werenӰרt out there alone. Anything we need, theyӰרre a phone call away.Ӱר
Smith agrees, saying orientation was a chance to put names with faces.
Ӱר(Orientation) gave us a great opportunity to develop relationships with classmates and faculty,Ӱר she says. ӰרTalking to them, seeing their personality, you feel like you can relate to them. It gives you that extra feeling of support.Ӱר
That support was much needed as the sisters pushed through their first semester, trying to strike a balance among a full-time workload, family, and doctoral coursework.
ӰרThere were a lot of small assignments that werenӰרt required, but encouraged. It was trying to find the middle ground. Both of us have always tried to do the very best; we felt we werenӰרt doing ourselves justice or the program justice,Ӱר Smith says.
On top of the pressure they felt to excel, their fatherӰרs health began to deteriorate.
ӰרSo we did consider leaving the program for a semester,Ӱר Smith says. ӰרWe just didnӰרt know if thatӰרs where we wanted to allocate our time.Ӱר
But after speaking with professors Dr. Jennifer Lemoine and Dr. Jeanne Cartier, the sisters decided to remain in the program.
ӰרThank goodness we did,Ӱר says Smith, now with a year in the program under her belt.
Dr. Cartier concedes earning a DNP degree is tough, but says faculty members do what they can to accommodate working nurse practitioners.
ӰרItӰרs a rigorous program,Ӱר Dr. Cartier says. ӰרWe will support students and walk with them Ӱר or behind them and push them Ӱר every step of the way, but they need to be the leaders.Ӱר
Parker says faculty members continued to check in, asking how Smith and Parker were faring personally and as students.
ӰרThey were the epitome of kind and considerate. Honestly, it was like you wanted to welcome them into your family,Ӱר she says. ӰרIt was just a really nice atmosphere. It was nice to know theyӰרre willing to work with you. If they can do anything to ease the burden, they will. It was so appreciated at that moment.Ӱר
The program is designed to ensure a supportive atmosphere among students, even through online interactions.
ӰרSometimes itӰרs nice to have that person thatӰרs going through the same thing. Whether itӰרs sister or anyone you have,Ӱר Parker says. ӰרAt UL (Lafayette), they make a real effort to have interaction among each one of the students. In our cohort, thereӰרs no one I couldnӰרt call.
ӰרI brought my ӰרfriendӰר along, but they set up an atmosphere of collaboration among peers. TheyӰרve done a better job than anywhere that IӰרve seen or even heard of.Ӱר
As Smith and Parker advance through the program, designs for their DNP Synthesis Projects are taking shape.
Smith says sheӰרs interested in developing primary care screening protocols for adolescents to reduce the long-term effects of bullying, which can range from missed school days to suicide attempts.
Parker is exploring how to avoid long-term effects of obesity, like diabetes, in children ages 11-17 during wellness visit screenings.
The children in their community arenӰרt the only ones who will benefit from ParkerӰרs and SmithӰרs endeavors.
SmithӰרs 19- and 20-year-old daughters and ParkerӰרs 15-year-old daughter have seen their mom and aunt blaze new trails as theyӰרve set examples of lifelong learning and achievement.
ӰרWe are the first of our entire family to go to college, in general. For our family, it was quite an accomplishment,Ӱר Parker says. ӰרWhen we went to LVN school together, it was a big deal for our parents, so I think just completing this program, and being able to have that family support, it was a blessing from God.Ӱר