TCNJ

MEN IN NURSING MEET THE STUDENTS SPECIAL EDITION Introducing Brian Weil! Bri- an is in his second semester of the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program and expects to graduate in the spring of 2016. Prior to attending TCNJ, Brian ob- tained his BSN from Florida Southern College in 2014. Brian always knew he want- ed to be a Nurse Practition- er and decided to pursue his Master's degree after a mentor recommended it to him. He chose to apply and attend the College, because he is from New Jersey and also was impressed with the program structure. He adds, "I like the small class sizes and that the program is face -to-face and not virtual. I did not want to take any hybrid or online courses." Brian previously interned in a Cardiac ICU at Lakeland Regional Hospital in Lake- land, FL. He was also a Stu- dent Laboratory Assistant during his senior year of his undergraduate program. He is looking forward to getting back to work and starting his graduate-level clinical experience this spring. In the future, Brian hopes to become a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and then specialize in Cardiology. Brian's favorite class thus far has been Pathophysiolo- gy. "I like the in-depth knowledge you get on the body and disease process- es. It is very interesting and practical," he explains. While Brian is attending school full-time, he still finds time to coach a competitive high school travel lacrosse team in Wall, NJ. Additional- ly, he enjoys playing la- crosse, surfing, and fishing. Brian's advice for future graduate students in the Nursing programs is to work on time management skills. "There is a lot of reading, but it is meaningful and nec- essary to really understand and have a grasp of the pro- fession," he explains. Brian describes his program as "challenging, yet rewarding" and looks forward to the semesters to come. Best of luck this semester, Brian! Introducing Jeremy Pyke! Jeremy is currently a part- time student in his second semester of the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program and expects to graduate by the summer of 2017. Be- fore beginning his master's program, Jeremy received his B.S. in Nursing from Rut- gers University and his A.A. in Nursing from Montgomery College. Jeremy decided to pursue his master's degree in nurs- ing for a few reasons. He explains, "The perspective that nursing takes on healthcare is very different than the medical perspec- tive. Nurses have a differ- ent, yet important, role from doctors." Jeremy also men- tioned that he enjoys the nursing field because of the autonomy that comes along with it, such as being able to care for patients inde- pendently. The main reasons Jeremy chose to attend TCNJ for his graduate work were the rep- utation of the nursing pro- gram and the on-site, in- person instruction format of the courses. He mentions, "I think the quality of educa- tion is threatened when you move to online programs." Jeremy's most enjoyed class has been Pathophysiology because of the "level of de- tail, higher-level thinking, and focus on the broader scheme of disease". Currently, Jeremy works as a Clinical Coordinator at Rob- ert Wood Johnson in Hamil- ton, NJ. Prior to this role, he worked in an ICU at River- view Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ and in a telemetry unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland. After graduat- ing with his MSN, Jeremy hopes to work within an interdisciplinary functional medicine practice. Jeremy grew up in Washing- ton State and moved to New Jersey in 2010. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing in the Raritan Bay, spending time on the beach, and being out in nature. The biggest challenge for Jeremy when preparing for graduate school was prepar- ing for the commitment. "I needed to know I was ready for it before I started the program," he explains. Alt- hough he feels the program is "tough," he believes that the "level of intensity facili- tates success afterwards." Good luck this semester, Jeremy! Page 4 The Graduate Column

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