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How It Paid Off: Brittany Winestock

From RN to FNP and Entrepreneur
Brittany Winestock
Brittany Winestock
Photo credit: Joshua Aaron Photography

NAME: Brittany Winestock ’14

DEGREE: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

JOB TITLE BEFORE MY DEGREE: Registered Nurse (RN), Providence Health

JOB TITLE AFTER MY DEGREE: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Providence Health; owner, The Nursing Studio

GOING FOR THE GOAL: Becoming a nurse practitioner has always been the end goal for my career, but I wanted to get experience as an RN first and then go back to get my master’s. That’s what led me to Walden. I already had clinical skills, but Walden’s program taught me the next level, such as how to interpret lab values and various symptoms a patient may have and to apply my best judgment in carrying out a plan to treat them. I’m now able to quickly identify key factors so that we don’t prolong or worsen a patient’s condition in any way.

EXTRA RESPONSIBILITY: One of the biggest changes I’ve experienced in my new role is understanding that there’s more liability as an FNP. As an RN, you are often implementing orders from the physician. Now, I’m not only providing care to the patients, but I’m also the one making those decisions and giving direction to others. Because of Walden, I was prepared for that. I don’t need someone to hold my hand. I am confident in giving direction and making big decisions. I’ve been able to hit the ground running and be independent because of the wealth of knowledge I gained at Walden.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE: In addition to my work as a nurse practitioner, I’ve started my own business called the Nursing Studio. I assist nurses and other nurse practitioners in passing their board certifications. For me, taking my boards was challenging because I couldn’t rely solely on my knowledge. I had to understand what the test was expecting from me. I don’t want people to be discouraged and think they’re not prepared for boards. It’s about understanding how to take what you know and successfully apply it to the test. At the Nursing Studio, I provide coaching and instruction on this topic. So far, we’ve had a 98% pass rate, and we’ve worked with 1,200 reviewers. I’m excited to see how we continue to progress in the future.

— As told to Kyra Molinaro

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