HCU MSN Students Help Instill Confidence to Incoming Student Class at Orientation
From the time students decide to explore MSN programs, to the time they enroll or even begin the program, many continue to wonder about their ability to be successful in an online learning curriculum. Student concerns include: Will I have the time? Will I be able to juggle my work schedule? Will life just get in the way? These concerns can feel imposing, especially with an online program where the students spend much of their time on the other side of a laptop—but the MSN ambassadors assured the incoming class there’s no need to worry.
Houston Christian University uses their Orientation program to help incoming students feel more comfortable as they enter their online/on campus MSN program. Recently, Chelsea Gargour, and Amanda Crandell met with HCU students to let them know they are not in this program alone. They discussed how with a few simple initiatives, a student can build confidence and a support system to help lead them towards success.
Chelsea and Amanda spoke about important student concerns such as time management, difficulty of the program, and why they should already feel confident as they enter the program. In discussing time management and program workload, it was important for these incoming students to understand that others have gone through this and felt similar concerns. While Chelsea works at Houston Methodist, and Amanda is employed at HCA Southeast Regional Hospital, both reinforced that it can be done, even with an already demanding schedule. As Amanda shared, “This is doable. It’s doable for people who have kids. It’s doable for people who are working.”
Part of the success involves building a support group, whether it’s fellow students, or faculty who are determined to help you succeed. “One of the good things about HCU is that it’s very personal”, said Amanda. “The Professors actually really care about you and care about you making it, so they will work with you”. Amanda also discussed how she would get together weekly with fellow students to discuss class topics, but also admitted that while schedules can make that difficult, the group used other options to get together, whether it be FaceTime or group text. Chelsea added that she also often used group texts and encouraged students to make as many connections as possible.
The parting message for the students throughout this conversation was to work hard, keep going, and be confident in what they’ve already accomplished as they enter the program. Chelsea informed the group, “You are a Nurse. You already have a strong foundation. You’re just building on it.” No matter how difficult it feels at times, Amanda encouraged the students to keep driving forward, “It’s a little like running a marathon. As long as you go step by step, you will get there. YOU WILL.”
If you would like more information on Houston Christian University’s MSN program, please visit https://onlinenursing.hc.edu/ .