By Clare Konning, MN Student
Growing up, my mother taught me to question everything — never to take anything for granted. Although this probably caused challenges for those without answers, it resulted in rich learning experiences, significant curiosity, and countless opportunities for me. Today, I continue to question, however, through the MN program, I have learnt to explore new ways of finding answers. With two months left in my degree, I find myself reflecting on the last 18 months, what questions I asked, how I have grown as a nurse, and how I found the answers.
I compare the official acceptance letter that one receives when accepted to a graduate program to the feeling of buyer’s remorse after a big purchase. There is a certain sense of shock and horror of what lies ahead. Pressure weighs heavy in the air at the thought of the amount of work, the level of commitment, and effort required to push yourself to achieve the goals that seem too distant away. During the program, I continued to carry these feelings with me, riding the waves between stress and accomplishment, while working towards my goals with the help of the inspiring leaders who continue to teach me. Learning through graduate education is about having influence, gaining a greater understanding, and viewing nursing with a different lens – one that opens your mind to explore possibilities that were once out of our reach.
The MN program has put things into perspective for me. Not only has it required me to delve deeper into my philosophical beliefs, values, and practice in nursing, but it has also equipped me with skills and knowledge to influence change. I am not the nurse I was when I started the MN program; I have grown as a leader, a researcher, a philosopher, and a student. Strangely, the more I learn, the less I feel I know. My hunger for knowledge will not end after this program is complete; the inspiring academic experts who have guided me thus far have further fueled my motivation to ask questions, and have helped me find the answers.
From the 2014 Spring Communiqué — Student Issue
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