Indiana University Northwest’s School of Nursing welcomed 12 new master’s-prepared nurses into its family of alumni in December, marking a historic first for the campus.

The group was the first cohort to graduate from the 28-month master of science in nursing (MSN) program. Upon passage of the certification exam, the graduates will add the Family Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified (FNP-BC) credential to their names and begin their journeys to practicing as primary healthcare providers.

Citing the Center of Workforce Innovations’s finding that more than 67 percent (or six out of 10) of projected new jobs in Northwest Indiana are in the healthcare and social assistance sectors, Linda Delunas, director of the School of Nursing, said that there is a great local need for qualified family nurse practitioners. Family nurse practitioners (FNP) are advanced-level registered nurses who specialize in family health, enabling them to serve as primary healthcare providers for people of all ages. An FNP has the autonomy to not only assess a patient, but also order and interpret lab and diagnostic tests, make diagnoses and formulate and prescribe treatment plans for their patients.

“As a leading nursing school, we are committed to preparing nurses to provide the highest-quality care for the people of Northwest Indiana,” said Delunas. “Our contemporary program, with coursework in pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical practice, evidence interpretation, and leadership skills, is designed to equip our graduates with an exceptional education and clinical training.” Delunas continued, “we're proud that many of our graduates have already passed the certificate exam and are beginning to find employment in Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area."

Ready to serve

After LaKeysha Freeny, of Merrillville, earned her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from Valparaiso University in 2011, she went to work for a home health agency and quickly got promoted to assistant director of nursing. This role had her working as a nurse, but also overseeing a staff of about 60 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and home health staff.

This was so rewarding, she began to think about pursuing her master of science in nursing (MSN) so she could become a family nurse practitioner. As soon as she learned about the master’s program at IU Northwest, she got busy applying to the program, which had high expectations for its applicants—a 3.0 grade point average in nursing school, letters of recommendation, and an interview.

Once accepted, Freeny took a job as a clinical liaison for an assisted living facility because it enabled her to work from home some days. This made it easier to juggle work with her studies, which were comprehensive enough to help her immediately pass the board exam upon graduation.

Now, with a myriad of opportunities at her feet, and a new, competitive credential setting her apart in the bountiful nursing job market, Freeny is seeking an FNP position, and like her classmates, is not at all worried about her chances of landing the right fit for her.

One of the most important assets she gained from the IU Northwest program, she said, was an organized approach to documenting her clinical experience and presenting it to potential employers.

“With my background as a nurse, and now a provider,” Freeny said. “I have a unique ability to prescribe my patients the treatment they need, while also educating them about their condition and the lifestyle factors that influence it.”

Poised for success

Katheryn Ziron has been a registered nurse since 1999 and has extensive experience in intensive care units.

She enrolled in the MSN program and became an FNP because though she appreciates and enjoys bedside nursing, she knows there are many more available avenues a nurse can take.

She was right. After completing the IU Northwest program, Ziron quickly landed the advanced position she was seeking. She now works as the full-time family nurse practitioner at a family care clinic in Hobart. She also signed on as an adjunct faculty member in IU Northwest’s undergraduate nursing program.

Ziron emphasized that the MSN program is not for the faint of heart. The rigorous program will challenge you, she admitted, “and as a result, when you succeed, you will find strengths you never knew and develop relationships you had never known were possible.”

Going above and beyond is just standard protocol for the nursing faculty, Ziron said.

“They helped guide us according to the state regulations and allowed us autonomy throughout the program to figure out how we would learn the necessary information. I value the professional and personal relationships I gained with my professors, as well as the fact that I was part of history for being among IU Northwest’s first MSN-FNP cohort.”

She adds that the MSN faculty believed in her from the start, and were willing to help her through the toughest of times. This, in turn, led to her a renewed confidence in herself.

“The School of Nursing provided us with the tools to learn but ultimately, it was up to us to master the material. I have always been an organized and determined individual but I have so much more confidence in my skills and acquired knowledge.”

Faculty-student relationships are key

Nicole Arena, of Crown Point, has worked in the cardiology offices of Community Hospital in Munster for about the past five years. She earned her BSN from Valparaiso University in 2014.

Seeking to transition into a nurse practitioner role there, she entered IU Northwest’s MSN program and continued to work up to 32 hours weekly while studying evenings and weekends. Arena said that the tight-knit relationships she formed with her professors and other 11 classmates enabled her to be successful in the rigorous program.

Arena is proud to say she just passed her certification exam and is in busy applying for FNP positions, which she knows are now hers for the taking.

Ready to educate

Bianca Vargas, of Highland, just passed her certification exam and is gearing up to start applying for positions as an FNP. She has spent her entire nursing career at Franciscan Health, first in Hammond, and now, in the intensive care unit in Munster.

Working in intensive care has exposed Vargas to patients with a myriad of ailments, many of which she feels could be prevented with proper education.

“If I work in primary care,” Vargas said, “I can do more teaching. I want to make a difference by spending more time with patients, and helping them to avoid the kind of complications I see every day in the ICU.”

Vargas said she really appreciated the instruction in the School of Nursing’s simulation lab, as this experience prepared her well for seeing patients in her clinicals.

“I really valued the experience of working with actors in the simulation lab at the IU Northwest School of Nursing,” Vargas said. “The professors gave us 10 patients and gave us a time limit to assess them, make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. Being under pressure in this simulated environment was so helpful, because once I did this in the clinical setting, I was really prepared.”

Vargas knows that her graduate education from IU Northwest is highly regarded in the field.

“When I was doing my clinical training in preparation for my MSN,” Vargas said, “a lot of my mentors told me that IU Northwest nurses are among the best prepared.”