溏心vlog免费B站 National Student Exchange coordinator to earn bachelor鈥檚 degree
KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� May 14, 2010 鈥� Donna Figueroa began thinking about pursuing a nursing degree when she was pregnant with her son Gianni, who is now 11 years old.
鈥淚 loved everything about my pregnancy, and I had a great nurse-midwife,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淎s I observed the midwives, I realized this was what I wanted.鈥�
She will take her first step toward her goal of becoming a midwife when she earns her bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from the 溏心vlog免费B站 May 23.
For the past 11 years, the Cranston resident has juggled her classes and clinical commitments with her job as assistant director in the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Office of International Education and National Student Exchange, a position she has held since 1992.
Even though she earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in international studies from The American University at a traditional age and later a master鈥檚 degree in international administration from World Learning鈥檚 School for International Training, Figueroa said she would not have made it as a young student in nursing.
鈥淚 admire the young undergraduate students who go through this program with a lot less experience than I have,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淭here is no group of students more mature than nursing students by their senior year. By that time, they are fully functioning nurses. In those roles, they are at the bedside when a patient is giving birth, dying, recovering from surgery and dealing with chronic illness and pain.鈥�
As Figueroa pursued her nursing degree, her son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a 4-year-old, her mother died and her father was diagnosed with lymphoma.
鈥淭here were a lot of challenges, but I kept getting back on the horse,鈥� Figueroa said.
She acknowledges that great support from her family, the 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty, classmates and colleagues in her office was critical.
Hector, her husband of 17 years, was tops among them. 鈥淢y husband has been great. I couldn鈥檛 have done it without him. He鈥檚 been putting our son on the bus and doing all the other things that allowed me to keep going.鈥�
She also credits the late Ruth Waldman, the former associate dean of nursing, with helping her progress. 鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for Ruth, I would not have made it. She was so encouraging. When I began the program, I asked her if this was doable. With a young child, family responsibilities and a job, I was half hoping she would say it wasn鈥檛. The faculty was also very supportive.鈥�
Figueroa credits University College Dean Jayne Richmond and her direct supervisor, Dania Brandford-Calvo, director of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥橲 Office of International Education, with allowing her to reduce her regular full-time schedule to 3-and-a-half days a week.
鈥淭hat was important because clinical experiences are 8 hours a day, and that doesn鈥檛 even count travel time. This also gave me time to study and spend a little time with my family.鈥�
Figueroa will now return to a full-time schedule at a job she loves. 鈥淚 love working with the students, but I want to pursue something else. Even if I never use my nursing education directly, I am so much richer for the experience.鈥�
A former Fulbright Scholarship winner under the International Education Administrators Program who studied in South Korea in June 1996, Figueroa has a wide range of clinical nursing experience.
Among her placements were Tollgate OB/GYN, South County Hospital鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Care Unit, Hasbro Children鈥檚 Hospital, Hope High School-Based Health Care Clinic and Roger Williams Medical Center鈥檚 Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Unit.
鈥淥ne of the big reasons I am trying to move into health care is I want to address wellness and lifestyle issues,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淥ne of my role models is (Associate Professor) Diane Martins, a community nursing specialist who does a lot of work outside the hospitals, especially with the homeless. Some students come into the program thinking nursing is only about the hospitals, but there is so much more鈥攑revention, wellness, education. Society is really not taking advantage of how diverse nursing is. I see myself some day as a program manager in health promotion.鈥�
But for now, Figueroa is planning for a family celebration May 23. 鈥淢y husband, son and father will be at the pinning ceremony and graduation. They have all been so understanding.鈥�
Pictured above
Donna Figueroa
溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Communications & Marketing photo by Michael Salerno Photography.