I feel that I have grown personally and professionally as a result of this course. Personally, I managed to make it this far because of the support and understanding of my family classmates and professors. I often times considered if I might have been too hasty in taking this course on line, especially because I had never taken an on line class before. It’s interesting that I didn’t really feel much anxiety when I first started the course, even though I, initially, felt unsure about how to navigate and decide the best way to approach the material. Thank goodness for my very understanding and helpful classmates, and a professor with incredible patience. I have gained a stronger sense of determination and a deeper commitment to my profession as a result of this course.

From a professional standpoint, it was challenging for me primarily because of my taxing work schedule. As an assistant director of nursing that was recently transferred from the Emergency department to the Medical Surgical unit, the workload was intense. My interest in the course kept me engaged. I often found myself using some of the lessons learned from the assignments in my day-to-day work activities. One example of this was in addressing staffing ratios. On the medical surgical unit I began to review the staffing ratios and had to readjust my way of thinking. In the past each unit had a set number of staff slated, based on the number of beds. More recently however, primarily because of budget constraints, staffing ratios are being addressed in a more fluid manner. For example, if the unit census changes over night and has either increased or decreased beyond a preset number, staff may be asked to come in or taken of the schedule depending on the situation. Having to address things in a more flexible way has also caused me to be more flexible in my thinking.