University of South Carolina College of Nursing Columbia, South Carolina BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing)

While obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree as an undergraduate nursing student, I was involved with and held membership and leadership positions in many of the nursing organizations that the College of Nursing provides. These included SNA (Student Nurses’ Association), Men in Nursing, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority Inc., and the Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Council. They all kept me active, and aided in the enhancement of my professionalism as a nurse, and laid the foundation of a great networking system that I still benefit from to this day!

University of South Carolina College of Nursing Columbia, South Carolina FNP-DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner-Doctorate in Nursing Practice)

I am currently enrolled at the College of Nursing as a graduate student and will begin studying to obtain my FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) - DNP (Doctorate In Nursing Practice) degrees beginning May of 2020.

We all haven’t been placed here on this earth by chance or any coincidence, but rather for a purpose. My purpose has always been wrapped around serving, giving back, and contributing to the development of those around me. Obtaining a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) will help to fulfill my “Each One Reach One, Each One Teach One” goal by preparing me for advanced practice nursing with a focus on family medicine.  This focus allows for a greater population of people to be reached and the doctoral piece takes it even further by diving into the many leadership aspects that are involved with advanced practice nursing.

My DNP Project aims to examine the effects of a teach-back method educational module and appropriate level dietary education for pediatric patients and their families. The purpose of this DNP project is to minimize barriers to low health literacy, possibly increasing this patient population’s adherence to their medical treatment plans and decreasing their number of repeated hospitalizations.

We all have the same 24 hours in our day. What makes us different is what we choose to do with each hour…minute…second.

-Shir’Mel McCullough RN, BSN