CONTACT - Volume 8, Number 1
Undergraduate Program in Nursing

This past week I have been basking in the glow of the recognition that comes with the successful completion of my doctoral program. I found myself participating in convocation as both a giver and receiver of acknowledgment for a job well done. Graduation proved to be a surprisingly emotional event; I was overwhelmed by the fact that I had achieved a goal that, not so long ago, had seemed allusive and almost out of reach. In trying to understand how I reached this goal, I considered the words of Dean Balcerski in her message at convocation to the graduates. Dr. Balcerski spoke of the need for reflection to guide our choices and awaken in each of us a call to action.

It is this issue of choices and action that I want to address now. Each day I meet with students and prospective students who have thought long and hard about choosing nursing as a profession, about going back to school, and about attending Barry. Each person's choices are made in concert with the people in their lives as well as the unique circumstances of their lives. It seems to me that it is the context of these decisions that greatly influences how the choices are played out. For example, some students are able to balance the needs of their family and their personal needs in order to achieve their goals. Other students are able to negotiate with the people in their lives a plan that will facilitate pursuing their education. However, the path is rarely that straight and uncomplicated.

I think that the old cliché, "Man plans and God laughs" is a truism. It seems, for each of us, obstacles constantly arise that threaten our ability to finish what we start. Students that I speak with encounter problems they hadn't planned on, problems associated with illness, child care, economic difficulties, and other assorted personal crises. Yet I am constantly amazed that in spite of these obstacles, so many of our students succeed. Why is this?

Could it be that is the nature of the reflection in which we engaged to make our choices that influences whether we can tough it out to the end? Does the reflection, in and of itself, determine the nature of the action we take towards that achievement of our goals-the stronger our commitment to our choices, the more mobilized to action we are? Certainly, one should not begin any educational program without a destination in mind. For many of our undergraduate students, the rigor of the nursing program far exceeds their expectations. Without a strong commitment to the goal, it is easy to become discouraged and consider quitting. As a doctoral student, I did not comprehend the challenges of the course of study ahead of me. Nor did I understand the nature of the process for completing the dissertation. To those who ask how I did it, the answer is, above all else, perseverance.

So, once again, I congratulate the class of 2000. The commitment and perseverance of each of you enabled you to overcome the obstacles in your path. I encourage you to continue to reflect and to take action -- action that advances your careers and the profession. In doing so, the health and well being of all peoples can only be improved.

Linda Perkel, Ph.D., RN; Associate Dean