For Laurel Miner, instructor of nursing, working toward her doctoral degree was not just about the certificate. It was not just about the title. It was about learning how to make a difference in her students’ lives and education.
Miner, who began working toward her doctorate in 2014, completed her degree in education with a specialization in nursing education from Capella University this past July.
Miner said that balancing teaching with her own schoolwork was a challenging test of time management, but ultimately very rewarding, as it allowed her to understand her students on a closer level.
“I think by being a student myself, until recently, that it has helped enhance my relationships,” said Miner. “I see a lot of them have trouble with time management, so I do try to help with that. It’s just been a real eye-opening experience being on both sides.”
Additionally, the action of teaching and being involved with Waynesburg University’s nursing program helped her understand her own assignments.
“The teaching helped with the degree,” Miner said. “Just having the experience—curriculum experience—having all of the education background…it really helped to be involved in the nursing classes here.”
Miner said that her degree curriculum was broken into two parts: the first half being about general education techniques and the second focusing on the training and education of nurses. It’s an important distinction, she said.
“I think it is helpful because we’re guiding people to care for patients in acute settings, in chronic settings, in all different sorts of settings for nursing,” she said. “So, it was really helpful to get a general idea of all of the different aspects of what these students today need to know.”
For her final dissertation, Miner decided to investigate the positive aspects of nursing education that make educators want to stay in the discipline.
She said that when she first “delved into the literature” she noticed a lot of negative connotations associated with the transition into nursing education – so she wanted to find out what made people remain committed to the role.
“I found that mentoring was a huge component of why people wanted to stay,” she said. “Collaboration, camaraderie, and some of the positive aspects of the role were flexibility…there’s also a sense of self-worth and pride by shaping the next generation of nurses.”
Her findings only solidified her commitment to teach, Miner said. She wants to be able to make a difference in how nurses care for patients.
“When the students who have graduated and they contact me or they come back to visit, it really is a worthwhile feeling,” Miner said. “You really get the sense of pride in training those individuals to go out there and be successful and be excited about their new career.”
Now, having completed her degree, Miner is grateful for the support of her fellow faculty members in the Nursing Department.
“It’s just been a real joy working here at the university,” Miner said. “…Most of them have their doctoral degree so it’s been helpful because they’ve been there and they’ve been able to offer advice around the way. It’s not always easy; there are frustrations along the way. So, they’re able to guide me and help in a mentoring sort of fashion by showing me some of the things that they did.”