I grew up surrounded by the medical field. My grandmother was an EMT who later became the ambulance station bookkeeper. I spent many summers in the ambulance station of our little town, helping to restock the ambulances, cleaning the firetruck, and being strapped to a spine board and hung upside down by the EMTs. My grandmother also worked nights as the ER clerk, and I would sit with her for shadow hours for my high school honors program. I never felt pressured to have a career in healthcare, but rather, it is always something I knew I wanted for myself. As high school was ending, I took a CNA class to get my foot in the healthcare door and work during college. While I did work as a home health aide during my freshman year at the University of Kansas, I did lapse a bit in my studies and was, in total honesty, a terrible student. I opted to drop out and join the U.S. Navy, where I spent the next seven years as a Yeoman. Although the job of Hospital Corpsman was unavailable due to quotas then, I did spend time with the medical staff, where I learned to be a Stretcher Bearer, a team of shipboard first responders during casualties. During this time, I also began working on my healthcare degree. In 2017, I obtained my Associates degree in Allied Health through Hillsborough Community College. This was my first step towards my future, and I was ecstatic. Given the demands of nursing school and the military, I had to wait until my contract was up to enroll in nursing school. I did, however, attempt to stay in the military through a nursing program, which would allow me to complete my BSN and then be promoted to an officer, where I planned to advance my nursing practice. Things have a way of not always working out perfectly, which led to an Honorable separation in January 2019 and to Rasmussen College of Nursing, where I completed my BSN, Magna Cum Laude, in May 2020. The redemption I felt after working so tirelessly through nursing school and after the previous 10 years was a breath of fresh air. I hit the ground running and moved from Florida to Arizona for a position as an ICU nurse at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital. This was an exceptionally difficult time; COVID was just beginning, resources and staff were hard to come by, and it seemed like whatever support system was in place before the pandemic was no longer around. I kept my head above water and managed to survive the pandemic with a little cynicism and a lot of experience – more than I felt a typical new graduate would have. I made a transition to Dignity Health Arizona General Mesa after a year at Tempe and have continued my Nurse Practitioner pursuit. In addition to general ICU experience, I obtained my Master’s degree in Nursing Leadership from Western Governors University and my CCRN certification. My desire to learn continuously has fed my will and drive to pursue a career as an NP. With my experiences, both good and bad, I knew that landing a position as an NP in the ICU was where I wanted to be. I was always told not to put all my eggs in one basket, but I firmly believe that where you invest your love, you invest your life. My love and passion for this career field have been nothing short of an investment, and I intend to keep the eggs in this basket.

Online learning is the way of the future. Not only does it broaden the availability of education to the masses, but it streamlines the entire process of earning a degree or certificate. Long gone are the days of rifling through encyclopedias and trusting word of mouth. Instead, the tools available to students now increase the quality and quantity of knowledge available in a markedly decreased amount of time. Current resources available to students and the general public include a variety of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, platforms such as Quizlet and Chegg, and learning management systems like Blackboard and Canvas, all of which contribute to the success of online and on-campus learning. AI, with all of its shortcomings related to plagiarism and lack of academic integrity, can be a helpful tool when the subject matter of academic content is not well understood. Personally, I find that AI can provide information in a condensed and direct manner that eliminates unnecessary, or "fluff", content. I have used AI to generate flashcards, practice quizzes, and notes through platforms such as Quizlet, all of which have deepened my understanding of content via a seemingly quick and simple method. Online platforms that have incorporated the use of AI integrate new-age technology with critical thinking skills learned through experiences to enhance overall learner satisfaction and boosts knowledge retention. Additionally, learning management systems provide a direct connection to a variety of resources for students to utilize when navigating their education. Blackboard and Canvas are but two examples of these types of platforms. As a user of Blackboard, I find that this platform allows for a one-stop shop for all of my education needs, such as access to course files, textbooks, and online databases for research. I am currently in a graduate degree program that requires extensive research for weekly assignments. Having access to a multitude of scholarly resources to not only complete these assignments but also to enhance my knowledge of the topics being researched is essential to my future profession. To conclude, online platforms, tools, and resources provide students with an amplified ability to understand concepts in a simplified and effective manner. This opens doors for students who previously felt excluded from the education realm and allows the general population to become more knowledgeable in both an academic and functional capacity. Continued integration of AI tools, online learning platforms, and learning management systems will only further enhance the educational fortitude of our population.