“A really great feeling” — Columbia nurse discusses her CIU online RN to BSN experience
July 26, 2022
By Bob Holmes
Registered Nurse Annabelle Clinton of Columbia says studying for her online RN to BSN degree from Columbia International University is going smoothly, adding that “it’s not like nursing school all over again.”
She says a big part of that is because now as a working professional, she is experiencing a different type of relationship with her professors and those in her online cohort.
“You’re an adult. You’re a peer. Which is a really great feeling.”
The 26-year-old earned her associate degree in nursing from Midlands Technical College in Columbia and serves in the Intensive Care Unit of Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital in Columbia.
During a recent visit to the CIU campus, Clinton said that studying nursing was not her first choice when considering a career, but now she refers to it as, “a calling.”
“Slowly, but surely, God kept tapping at my heart by meeting people who were nurses or nursing students or in health care,” Clinton said. “I found myself wishing I could be a nurse. It is so wonderful that they help people and directly impact people. Finally, I took the leap. I felt like this is the Lord telling me to change my major and go into nursing. And I did, and I haven’t regretted it.”
Clinton is especially grateful for how the flexibility of the online program fits into her nursing and life schedule saying, “I’m learning, but I’m not pulling my hair out.”
“Usually (I study) in my living room on the couch, which is wonderful,” Clinton said. “I have my dog, I have my coffee. I have my laptop out. I have my little coffee table. I put some calming, relaxing music on to keep me focused.”
She says so far, Pharmacology is her favorite class. While she is already very familiar with the various drugs prescribed to her patients, the Pharmacology course is providing a deeper understanding of how the drugs work.
“It offers a lot of relevant and really interesting information,” Clinton said. “How (a drug) is metabolized and what enzymes or proteins it binds to. Just really cool things that explain why you would have a side effect with this medication.”
Even in an online program, Clinton appreciates that she is being taught from a biblical worldview and can share her heart with fellow believers in her cohort.
“It’s a Christian atmosphere. We know that we should be upholding ourselves to God’s standard of kindness – we love Jesus,” Clinton said. “These are my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
For more from Annabelle Clinton, and her classmate, Sheri Harris from Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina, watch YouTube.
What are you waiting for? Complete your Nursing (RN to BSN) degree in just 15 months, 100% online. With record enrollment for five straight years, CIU consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South. Apply now or request information on enrollment by contacting Admissions at (803) 807-5024 or admissions@ciu.edu.