Ann Kolawole
I have been applying my classroom knowledge in my patient care on the floor, being more detailed in my search and advocating for appropriate and prompt care for patients under my care.
Q: “Tell us about yourself.”
A: “I'm a nurse and just got my master's degree at Norwich University, majoring in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. I live with my husband and our one-year-old girl. Most of my friends are nurses; we share similar visions and goals and motivate one another. Outside of work and in my free time, I like to travel, spend quality time with family and friends, go hiking, ride my bicycle, read articles and novels, cook nice meals, and watch movies. I have been a nurse for 16 years; I have worked in urology and orthopedics, as a first responder/clinic nurse in the construction company, in the neonatal ICU, and in the emergency room. I am currently an RN on a step-down floor.”
Q: “What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”
A: “I love caring for people, listening to people, and finding solutions to problems. I have always desired to be a clinician and have worked bedside for more than a decade now. I believe I would have more to offer my patients if I could upgrade in my career. I'm somebody who wants to know more, who wants to equip myself at all times with all the information that I need to help my patients. So, pursuing my degree at this time was my best shot. In the future, I will assume a new role as an acute care APRN in the acute care surgery or the ER. And I will be looking forward to my DNP in the future as well, when I'm able to balance family life to some extent.”
Q: “Why did you choose Norwich?”
A: “A colleague once mentioned the NU in my ears. When I went in search of schools for my MSN, I was specific in looking for schools that offer acute care. I reached out to three different schools and got their admission requirements, and I was curious to know how things would unfold during the program, so I could make a great choice for my career. Among the three, NU stood out: the admission team was readily available to answer all my questions and gave me details of it all, even up to how my class would look and how to find it. The orientation manager did great in providing information on how to navigate the classroom, my student advisors were top notch, they will always reach out with information that needs urgent attention, and respond to my emails as quickly as possible. I had great and wonderful tutors!”
Q: “Did you have any uncertainties with choosing an online program?”
A: “Oh yes, I did. Especially for an acute care program, I was unsure how things would unfold. I did my BSN online, and it was great because the school had great communication, and my student counselor was always there to respond to emails and calls. So, that gave me some kind of confidence that the master's program won't be bad to do online, but my biggest worry was how I would be able to get hands-on for clinical/practicals. NU cleared all these fears and made it easy to flow with. The online classes, the class discussions, the class resources, and case studies were so intense, focused, and detailed. The tutors are readily available and reachable and would create a Team meeting to talk over things with me and have honest discussions about topics and cases. So, it made my journey easy. Comparing this to traditional/on campus, it felt like I could not pinpoint the difference anymore because I'm somebody that would prefer a traditional/on campus degree, but the pattern NU uses for their online program is so intense and will definitely fine-tune a student in the right direction.”
Q: “Prior to beginning your courses, what were some of your expectations for an online degree program?”
A: “One of my expectations for the online degree, especially for acute care, was that a lecturer/tutor would always hold at least a virtual class with us once or twice a week. I valued it as a great commitment. Another thing that was helpful was the recorded lectures from the tutors, which go a long way.”
Q: “What is one piece of advice you would give to future students enrolling in one of Norwich's online programs?”
A: “My piece of advice for future online students would be: embrace the online offer as it allows you to work with your own time during the day/night, take all the class lectures very seriously because they are enriched with most information that you need in a simplified manner, and read the textbooks line by line to pick out the most significant facts. Lastly, don't hesitate to reach out to your lecturers with any questions that you may have anytime, and ensure to maximize every learning opportunity available to you.”
Q: “What has been your biggest personal or professional success since starting your degree?”
A: “Obtaining my master’s degree at this point is so far my biggest professional success. I aimed to achieve my MSN within this time frame in my life, and I'm glad that Norwich has helped me to achieve this goal, and not just that, Norwich has impacted me immensely in a positive direction. I have been applying my classroom knowledge in my patient care on the floor, being more detailed in my search and advocating for appropriate and prompt care for patients under my care, both in practicum and as a floor nurse. I'm also going to put all the knowledge I got from my classroom to work immediately at my new job as an acute care nurse practitioner. Also, I had my first baby in the last year of finishing my degree at NU, which is after 10 years of being married. So, I got an extra degree certificate if you'd ask me.”
Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”
A: “Diligency, commitment, respect, and integrity.”
Q: “Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experiences at Norwich?”
A: “The impact of Norwich on my life is that focusing on my dream was the strategic key. All the course work and assignment demands day-by-day, week-in week-out, got me on my toes at all times even when life is tough and much demanding on me, I stood firm and strong, focusing on that mark of the higher calling, knowing that I can't dance to every market drums beating around me, if not I would lose my grip and miss my points.”
