Samantha's Story

The convenience of obtaining your education online is a feature that many students find very appealing. For others, like Samantha Quillen, nothing can beat the experience of being in the classroom. Quillen, a graduate of Malone’s Master of Science in Nursing program, wanted a program that would give her not only the versatility of working with all types of patients but also one that would allow her learn in a classroom setting.

“My main motivation for applying to Malone University's MSN program was my desire to advance my education,” said Quillen. “While bedside nursing will always hold a special place in my heart, I knew becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner was my ultimate goal.”

“Malone offers a Family Nurse Practitioner program which trains you to care for a variety of patients including adults, children, and obstetric patients,” said Quillen. “I knew I wanted to be trained to care for a variety of patients, which in turn would make me a more versatile and marketable provider when I began my job search.”

Malone’s MSN program was designed in order to allow students to continue working either part-time or full-time while completing their degree.  The program is held on the Malone campus, one night a week, for 24 months, making it convenient and manageable for students to complete in a short time-frame. The on-campus feature is one that many students find to be very beneficial.

“I don’t think that I would have been as engaged as I was in a classroom setting,” said Quillen. “The opportunity for classroom discussion, demonstration, and feedback was invaluable to me as a student.”

Quillen currently is working as a Nurse Practitioner at Union Hospital, which was one of the hospitals she had her clinical rotations in while completing the program.  The need for Nurse Practitioners has significantly increased over the last few years and Quillen recognizes that this field is one that is destined for growth.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be a nurse practitioner. Due to physician shortages across the board, we are stepping into exciting roles as providers with an abundance of opportunity.”