Where there is a will there is a way
Have you thought about going back to school or starting a career in healthcare? Read Gabriela Hebronova’s amazing journey becoming a Nurse Practitioner. She did not have a traditional pathway into nursing, however, she made it happen.
Where there is a will there is a way:
My route to nursing
I was born and raised in the Czech Republic. I moved to the U.S. when I was twenty-four years old. When I decided to go back to school, I was forty-three years old at the time and I never studied in the U.S. before, which means that I was out of school for over twenty years. Today, six years later, I am about eight months shy to be fifty years old, and I just graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
This “going back to school idea” started when I was forty-three and the time I just ended my twelve-years of a relationship. I was heartbroken, single again, and on crossroads. I was a real estate agent at the time and times were not certain in that business. I knew I have to do something about my life to have more financial security. I decided to try to get into nursing because my entire family is in the medical field and it was always my passion as well. My other reason for the choice was that nurses are always needed and that brings job security.
I wish I did not wait this long to start school, but I just did not have the guts to start the process/ to jump into it. I thought the process of getting into the nursing school is complicated, school is expensive, and then there are many years in the school. Well, the process was not as complicated and the years went by very quickly; as a matter of fact, so quick, that I decided, right after I finished my bachelor’s in nursing to apply and continue with Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program. I started with research. I looked up the schools, reviews, and cost for their programs. What mattered to me was also how fast I can finish. I was looking for fast track programs, in a school with a good reputation, and a more affordable program cost. Considering my age, I did not want to be in school forever and end up with tons of loans. The hardest was the first step – to get the courage and actually walk into the admissions department. I had no idea how it all works in the U.S. I also did not have any transcripts from my country. My country went through a revolution in 1989 and I did not think I would be able to get anything from there.
I decided to start at Scottsdale Community College. The school had good reviews and it was more affordable. They also offered a fast track program for BSN. The advisors there were full of recourses and ideas. They told me about scholarships and grants. They also told me that I have to test in math, English, and reading before I can be admitted. I asked how soon I can do that. I end up testing the same day I walked in for the first time. They told me I can repeat it anytime, so I took my chances. Surprisingly, I did well, it was not hard. I was exempt from most classes except one math and English. I was also told I need to take prerequisites. I had to take biology, chemistry, statistics, and a couple of other classes. I figured out the schedule, now I just had to figure out the money part. I googled and googled…and applied for a few grants. I received enough to start school. From that point on, I was on a mission. I planned everything carefully with my advisors and I went full time, including taking summer classes. I kept working as a real estate agent. I fast-tracked as much as I could. Before I knew it, I was in a Nursing school program at the same college getting an associate’s degree and simultaneously getting a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University (NAU).
Immediately, after I graduated with my bachelor’s in nursing, I applied for the FNP program at NAU, but I was told I will not be accepted because I did not have any experience as a nurse yet, which was one of the requirements. However, I was told by the advisor to apply for a master’s in nursing (Generalist program) and then, after a year or so, to apply to transfer into the FNP program. Most of the classes (except two), required for the Master Generalist degree, were the same classes that were required by the FNP curriculum, so it did not matter where I started. Before I knew it, I was transferred and my big goal/my dream came true, I was in the FNP program. The entire route took six years, including the semesters of prerequisites. The time flew by so fast that it is scary. It was not always easy; English is not my first language. I did have a hard time a few times, I even cried…I still graduated with Magna Cum Laude. If I can do it, anyone can.
