Brandy Salazar shares her experience as a Baylor online Distance ABSN student. View her testimonial below.
Read full testimonial transcript below.
What inspired you to become a nurse? Do you have a personal story to share?
In 2002, I joined the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman. During that timeframe, I spent some time in hospital… working trauma in Iraq. That really drove me to not only build my love for the profession as a whole, but to really want to pursue my education further and become a registered nurse.
Why did you decide now was the right time for a career change and to pursue an ABSN?
Right now was a good time to start with the Baylor ABSN program just because it was perfect timing. I feel like God has a plan for everyone and His timing is always right. Baylor really spoke to my soul, and I knew that God's will was working within me, so I applied and here we are.
Why did you decide to enroll in Baylor's ABSN program? How did you hear about it and what was most appealing to you?
I decided to enroll in Baylor's ABSN program because of the spirituality that I have felt from other cohorts, from other students of Baylor. I really felt that the teachers were not only interested in my growth professionally, but spiritually. Baylor's a great program and they're known throughout the country, throughout the world, and I really wanted to be a part of that.
What does it mean to you to be a Baylor nurse?
What it means to be a Baylor nurse for me is being caring, empathetic, and knowledgeable. Not only thinking of what I can do for the patient, but what I can do for the families and really carrying forth the knowledge that I learned from my great professors here at Baylor.
Tell us about your experience so far during the on-campus immersion. What is it like to meet your professors and peers in person?
The ABSN immersion has been a wonderful experience. You meet your professors [and they] give you constructive and positive feedback. They ensure that when you're moving forward to your clinical setting, they feel confident in your skills [so] that when you meet the patient, you're taking care of them in the manner that they expect you to. All the professors here are amazing. You can truly feel that they not only care about your education, but they care about you as a person as well, which is nice.
Tell us about your experience through the admissions process. How did working with your enrollment advisor impact your enrollment experience?
My advisor was absolutely amazing. She followed up with me weekly, making sure that I had everything I needed to make sure my checkoffs were done on time. She made the process very smooth, and it's just been a breath of fresh air because you don't get that at all colleges.
Did you have concerns before enrolling or about choosing a second career? What changed?
Prior to being accepted and actually pursuing my education through Baylor for my RN, I … did have a lot of reservations. It was more fear of the unknown and not sure at my age if this was something that I was willing to give up my free time, if I was willing to go the extra step to really pursue my passion. But I am a firm believer in, if you're not happy, you should find what makes you happy. Life is very short. I knew if that was on my mind and it's something that I was really confident that I would be able to succeed in, then nothing could go wrong. So, I went for it.
What advice do you have for potential students who are considering enrolling in Baylor's online ABSN program?
My advice to any prospective students looking to join the Baylor family with our distance ABSN program is to give yourself grace. It's okay if you don't understand right away, are confused or concerned. Talk it out with someone, whether it be a student, … a professor, or if you want to reach out to your advisor, they're all here to help you.
What type of nurse do you want to become after you get your RN license?
After I graduate with my BSN from Baylor University, I would really like to become either a trauma nurse or an ICU nurse. My prior experience as a Navy corpsman has really been immersed in trauma, so I would like to pursue that in the future.
How important is it to you to work with underserved populations in rural communities as an RN?
As a registered nurse, I find it to be very important to work with the underserved communities, whether it is in my area or if it were to be travel outside of the country to do volunteer work. It's important to realize that not everyone has the same access to care. I think it's important that they have resources and people there that are willing to help them.
What kind of impact do you hope to have as a nurse?
When I think about nursing, I think about not only providing care for my patient, but it's also providing care for the family. My impact going forward really wants to treat them as a whole entity in making sure that the family is taken care of as well, and that I'm able to provide the best care I possibly can to my patient so we can get them on their way and back to their family.
