Let's meet another Nurse Support Program (NSP) II Cohen Scholar!
Who are the Cohen Scholars? From the Nurse Support website:
The Cohen Scholars are recognized as the next generation of nurse educators to fill the positions needed now and in the future.
This NSP II program provides funding for Cohen Scholars to complete the necessary graduate degrees and coursework to prepare to become a nurse educator or faculty in the state of Maryland.
Join us in meeting some of the Cohen Scholars across the state of Maryland!
Allison Doyle, RN, MSN, CEN, CPEN, is a Cohen Scholar from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She serves as a Clinical Educator in the Emergency Department at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center.
In addition to her Master's degree, Ms. Doyle has obtained advanced certifications as a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN).
Over the last several years, she has been nominated and received several accolades reflecting the excellence of her work as a nurse and clinical educator.
She was a recipient of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Chapter Government Affairs Award as a Member of 2022 ENA Maryland State Council, and she was nominated for “Nurse of the Year” for BWMC Emergency Department in both 2019 and 2020.
She earned a scholarship to attend American College of Emergency Physician Conference March 2020, and in the Fall of 2019 was awarded multiple scholarships including the Darlene Curley Scholars Donor Scholarship, Elizabeth O’Connell MS ’74 Donor Scholarship, Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) Doctoral Scholarship, and the Hal and Jo Cohen Graduate Nurse Faculty Scholarship.
Ms. Doyle is committed to creating an inclusive learning environment for students and new nurses. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her journey in education below.
What drew you to a career in teaching?
"I want nursing to be a career that makes new graduates feel safe and welcomed, similar to how we strive to take care of our patients. Learning is an individualized process that takes different shapes for different people and I bristle against the idea that someone will 'never make a great nurse'.
With a field as broad as nursing, there will always be a place for a new nurse learner who is capable of caring for the welfare of others and committing themselves to the art of healing."
What are the two most important things you’ve learned as you've prepared for a career as an educator?
"First and foremost, I usually have just as much to learn from my students as they do from me.
Life experience and perspective are invaluable in caring for a diverse patient population and I am committed to being a lifelong learner myself."
What has your experience as a Cohen Scholar been like? How has this program impacted your career path?
The monthly meetings of the Cohen Scholarship group and the courses I have taken for the associated teaching certificate have given me invaluable insight into the inner workings of higher education.
I feel like I have a "leg up" on applying to formal jobs as an educator with details I would not otherwise have been armed with had I not been a part of this group.
Every step of stepping into this profession has been outlined for me and my peers slowly and deliberating over the past four years of school.
My Cohen Scholarship team (Dr. Carol O'Neil and Dr. Sandra Lucci) at University of Maryland School of Nursing works tirelessly to keep us on track and on top of what is coming up ahead.
They are incredibly responsive to emails and regularly take the time to have phone conversations with us as we need. I just wanted to give them a shout out for all that they are doing and for being so kind in the process!
Tell us about the steps/processes that helped you acquire your first teaching position?
I am currently employed as a hospital educator in my department which I secured through internal hiring after working there the past five years. I am delighted. :)
Thank you to Ms. Doyle for taking the time to share your story with us and for pursuing a career that leads the nursing profession forward!
Stay tuned for our next Cohen Scholar Spotlight.
Are you a Cohen Scholar who would like to share your story? Reach out to us at leadnursingforward@gmail.com!