Meet our Students: Chelsea Miller

Hometown: Winthrop, WA

Year/Program: 2018/Doctor of Nursing Practice; Adult-Gerontology Acute Care

Research/Areas of Interest: Management of recurrent pleural effusions; rural health

Scholarship Recipient? Yes, de Tornyay Healthy Aging Doctoral Research Scholarship, Hegyvary Citizens of the World Scholarship and Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program Trainee

Why did you choose nursing? I chose nursing because it is intellectually challenging; allowing me to continually advance my knowledge in nursing care through specialties and advanced degrees. Nursing provides flexibility and a magnitude of arenas to work within; I feel like there is a sector for everyone. Nursing also has allowed me to travel.

What has been an unforgettable experience during your time at Nursing? I have had several unforgettable experiences throughout my nursing education; beginning in the UW BSN program I had the opportunity to study abroad in Thailand for an entire quarter. This really opened my eyes to different cultures and ways of delivering healthcare. I have been able to enhance this knowledge while in the Doctor of Nursing Program (DNP) by representing the UW School of Nursing (UW SoN) at the University Immersion Program at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. I was the sole representative from the United States collaborating with students from China, Denmark, Australia and Canada to compare healthcare systems, nursing education/roles, and cultures. I was able to continue traveling for 2 months in Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal) before participating in the UW Exploration Seminar: Health in the Context of Culture in Southern India. I also returned the following summer as the teaching assistant for the seminar. Combined, these experiences have been unforgettable… helped to enhance my cultural humility and will benefit my patients in the future.

How has your experience at nursing helped you with your career trajectory? I am continually amazed at the opportunities that UW SoN has provided me throughout my nursing education. As I continue in my career as an advanced practice nurse I am devoted to providing healthcare to rural underserved areas. My intent is to practice at a Critical Access Hospital as a hospitalist as there is an increasing shortage of inpatient trained providers. I have been able to take elective courses throughout the DNP program that will enhance my rural practice and the UWSoN has worked diligently to provide me with clinical rotations that will provide me with a broad knowledge base to pull upon while working in resource poor regions (where consulting a specialty is more challenging). I look forward to precepting DNP students in the future. I also intend to continue working internationally and have been able to make connections with UW SoN faculty and international faculty to enable this adventure.

Anything else you would like to share? I have commuted to UW for the entirety of this program from Winthrop, WA (North Central Washington) approximately 4-5-hour drive and am so grateful for all the generosity from family, friends, and acquaintances who have opened their doors and lives to me. I want other nurses who are working and living in rural areas to know that it is possible to commute throughout the program and it is 100% worth the effort.