Susan "Sue" M. Howard, RN

FIU was a safe school, and I could afford it. I was going through a really rocky marriage, and I knew that I was headed to a divorce. I had three children, and it was a case of what I could afford. I liked the program, and I had friends who said, 'Susan, you can get a nursing degree in two years.' I got an associate's degree in nursing at Miami-Dade. I knew that I could get a job with a two-year degree, but I wouldn't go very far in nursing without more education. That was when I made my decision. I had to deal with a thesis. I understood more about people and learned to be non-judgmental and compassionate. That was the reason I went into oncology. FIU helped me with seeing a lot of different hospitals and being able to choose where I might want to work. It helped me understand what it took to be a nurse at the bedside. The clinicals are where we really learn. It isn't book learning - that's important, but we really have to be out there, hands-on. That was one of the biggest things that FIU gave me: the real picture. Several of my friends went along with me and they dropped out because it was harder than they thought it was going to be. We also had to be pretty sharp when it came to mathematics. We had medications, and we had to know the formulas. It helped me a lot to learn at that level. Fortunately for me, I had come out of Miami-Dade. I had some idea about what I was going to be dealing with. I knew that I really wanted to continue. I spent a career of 27 years in nursing, all in oncology. I've done a lot of lectures trying to help other nurses and healthcare team members. Everybody who walks into that room needs to listen. If a person said, 'Am I dying?' I didn't say, 'Talk to your doctor.' I grabbed the chair, I sat down, and I talked to them. I learned how to talk through experience. Because of going to Miami-Dade and then to FIU, I learned a lot along the way.