CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2021 - 7

7 7

COLLEGE

Crossroads Leads to a
Change of Direction

By Dana Brandorff

ike many nurses pursuing an advanced degree, Rafal
Mirowski set his sights on a nurse practitioner degree.
After all, the NP degree is one of the most pursued
advanced nursing degrees in America. According to
the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics, the need for nurse
practitioners will increase 36% between 2016 and 2026,
substantially faster than the average 7% growth anticipated across
all occupations during that time. " I was convinced that a DNP in
direct patient care was the ONLY path, " said Mirowski.

A SINGLE FOCUS - AN NP DEGREE
But after applying, competing for a spot, being accepted into the
University of Colorado's BS-DNP program and specializing in Adult
Gerontology, enrolling and taking a few classes, he started to rethink his goal. " Before I began, I hadn't considered anything but
adult-gerontology. " Like a lot of nurse practitioner programs, CU's
was focused on direct patient care - treating and caring for patients
at the bedside. " And that's exactly what it was supposed to deliver,
but I wanted something different. I just didn't know what that was
until I got here. I knew there had to be other things out there. "

PREPARING TO QUIT THE PROGRAM, MIROWSKI
HAD SOME HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE
Because of the disconnect between what he was learning and what
he wanted to learn, Mirowski became dissatisfied. He was prepared
to leave the program but didn't want to. He liked CU. The faculty.
The environment. The students. Its reputation for innovation. He
had spent years focused on this path. Now, what was he going to do?
Before enrolling, he never questioned his pursuit of an NP degree
in direct patient care. " This was the way to advance my career, " said
Mirowski. " I didn't just want the diploma and the initials after my
name. I wanted to embrace the degree and really learn from it. "
While on his quest to applying, he spent months analyzing and
researching universities and programs. And narrowed his top three
choices to the University of Michigan (Flint), University of Illinois at
Chicago, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

WHY CHOOSE CU?
His criteria for selection included that the institution: be connected
to an academic hospital; have significant NIH funding; produce theorists and leaders in the field; have a BSN-DNP program that allowed

students to earn an MSN along
the way. " CU had it all, " recalled
Mirowski. But what sealed the deal
for him was the interview process.
" CU was different. Other schools
had a formal process. CU's was unconventional, which confirmed my
perception that CU was innovative
and encouraged thinking outside of
the box. That appealed to me. "
For Mirowski, the realization that
the program he was enrolled in
wasn't the right fit was devastating. Instead of dropping out, he
leaned in, and started talking with
faculty about his goals to determine
if something else at the College
would fit his needs. He researched
other BS-DNP tracks that might
offer him the critical thinking he
was looking for. He discovered
iLEAD (Innovation in Leadership
and Administration in Nursing
and Health Care Systems) - one
of three programs that is more focused on the business side versus
the bedside. The others included

health care informatics and veteran and military health care. The
online Master of Science in Nursing
leadership program guides nurses
into leadership and administrative
responsibilities in primary care,
long-term care, home health positions and more.

DISCOVERING THE RIGHT
PROGRAM FOR HIM
" The iLEAD program sounded
interesting. It focuses on reflecting on what you are studying,
what works, what doesn't work. I
thought it might fulfill a desire I
had to grow in nursing. " He talked
with the program leaders and
transferred within the College.
" They really cared and worked with
me, " said Mirowski.
With a long-term goal of being part
of leadership at an academic institution, he has found the degree
that fits him best, and also discovered along the way that " you don't
have to pigeonhole yourself. "

CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2021

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