Balancing Job, Family, Grad School: 5 Principles for Christian Nurses

“你是怎么做到的??”

That was usually the question that people asked after they discovered that I was enrolled full time as a graduate student in the dual-track 护士教育工作者 和 家庭护士 焦点 区域在 M.S.N. 程序 在雪松维尔大学. 作为妻子, 是三个12岁以下孩子的母亲, contingent nurse at an inpatient hospital unit, 兼职临床教授, 也是教会的活跃成员, I understood why they were asking. When I felt the Lord calling me to pursue a degree as a nurse educator 和 家庭 nurse practitioner, I entered with prayerful fear 和 trembling. Hanging over my computer — where I spent countless hours (many during a p和emic 和 many during long nights) — were the following 5 guiding principles that helped me balance my job, 家庭, 研究生院.

第一条:把耶稣放在第一位 Don’t worship knowledge; don’t worship power; don’t worship money. Prioritize time with God in prayer; prioritize your marriage; prioritize teaching your children; prioritize the church.

的se principles have guided my choices about where to spend my time 和 guided my intellectual pursuit. 的 struggle about where to invest my time has not always been easy. Some days it is hard to choose to set all of the assignments aside 和 really engage with your spouse 和 children. 的 need to trust 和 let God work out all of the details, even guiding your reading 和 study, 是凭信心行事的一部分吗. 我吃过 to let go of some responsibilities 和 pass the baton to others. 我吃过 to lean on my support systems 和 trust that the gaps I can’t fill right now will be OK. I have to remind myself often of my “Whys” for this journey.

#2保持谦虚 Be willing to get your h和s dirty. 你想做这项工作吗?

Early in my graduate school journey, I was challenged by an African doctor who asked if there were those willing to not just show up for a job or work so they could get paid, 但是他问, “Do you want to come to work or do you want to do THE work?” I determined early on to do THE work. I have interacted sincerely with every patient. I have practiced assessments 和 honed diagnostic skills. I have poured myself into educating students 和 improving their experience. 我这样做是因为我 sensed God’s call to work at what I am doing with all of my heart. I have pursued excellence because I believe this is His work.

3 .相信上帝赐予的吗哪 他会提供.

的 School of Nursing at Cedarville challenges every entering graduate student to remember how God provided for the children of Israel in the Old Testament. Grad school has a lot of moving parts 和 pieces 和 has required leaning into God’s provision. This also meant being very proactive about the 程序 requirements. 我工作了一段时间 year in advance to secure some clinical placements 和 I prayed 和 persisted when some of them fell through. I can say with confidence that He has led me to ALL the right places.

#4 Let Yourself Go Through the Change – 在过程中进行评估. 使用元认知.

Reflecting on HOW I was studying 和 what was effective 和 ineffective became a key piece to navigating the content. 尤其是每次考试之后, I worked through what went well 和 what I would change to better study the content. 我试着计划了几个 weeks at a time to allow myself time to study 和 engage with the material. 研究生 school became my full-time job. All of my "paid" 工作 (nurse at a hospital 和 clinical adjunct) became secondary. I adjusted my job 和 work to becoming a nurse practitioner 和 nurse educator; I did not try to fit it into my current role as an RN. Many times, as I sensed myself changing 和 being stretched. I reminded myself, “It’s OK; this is what it is supposed to feel like when you become 新事物或新人物.”

#5继续前进 你可以这么做. 你会通过的.

I committed early in the process that I would not give up. I believed in myself, with God's help, I knew I could finish well.

I don’t know if there is how-to guide for every Christian nurse trying to balance a job, 家庭, 研究生院. Each person has unique challenges to overcome 和 victories to celebrate. 的 5 principles above, however, are rooted in Scripture 和研究. 它们是一个很好的起点.

By Miriam Roggio (Miriam Roggio is a 2022 graduate of Cedarville University’s 护理学硕士 – 家庭护士 和 护士教育工作者 程序s.)

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的 护理学硕士 程序 在雪松维尔大学 School of Nursing is equipping advanced practice nurses with the training 和 skills needed to succeed wherever God leads them. 从重点领域中进行选择 家庭护士, 儿科执业护士, 护士教育工作者, Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Improvement. An M.S.N.+M.B.A. 双学位也可以.