Audrey Penelope Miller

I was already an RN but came to FIU Nursing so that I could attain my bachelor's degree in nursing; that was my attraction initially. The program was great. Transitioning from an RN with an associate's degree to an RN with a BSN degree gave me leadership skills. Even though it was a tough program, getting to the pinning ceremony was what brought it all together. We had a nursing pinning ceremony that was awesome, especially for undergraduate nursing students. We had our candles and walked up to get our pins that had a dangling 'BSN' on them. It was an intimate ceremony for the nursing students. I had my entire family there. It was so glamorous, and that was the best part of it all. I would tell people that FIU Nursing is a premier research-intensive university, and that goes down the Nursing Program as well. I would also tell them that there are faculty and staff who are in the profession actively and can give them hands-on teaching knowledge and subject matter expertise. Although it's a rigorous program, it is designed to get students to the level for which they can give safe patient care. Not only did I get my bachelor's degree at FIU Nursing, but I got my post-master's certificate as well. I ended up working at FIU Nursing. I was a little nervous when I first transitioned from direct patient care in the clinical hospital to academia, but it was the best decision I ever made because I could then do a little bit of both.