"I truly hope that I can do this for the rest of my life.”

"Hi, I'm Allison Holbritter and I am a current student of Carson-Newman's Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate Program. I truly hope that the stories shared here will help you make a decision on how you want to further your career.

"Carson-Newman University actually found me online. I was looking for programs for an online-only Family Nurse Practitioner for Post-Master's Certificate, and one of the things that jumped out to me was the fact that they help with placement for clinical. From my previous coworkers and friends who are current Nurse Practitioners, they did say that one of the biggest struggles was finding clinical sites. So, I jumped in, and found a whole world that I never thought was possible.

"Every experience that I've had so far with Carson-Newman has been a positive one."

"While researching the program, I found that Carson-Newman University is a Christian college. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to go to a Christian college, but couldn't afford it. And so, this is a way that I can fulfill that one lifelong goal, and move on in the world, having a school that has many of the same beliefs and values that I do.

"I've done other online programs. I received my Bachelor's and my Master's degrees at online programs. Those programs were competency-based. So, I did the work that was required, and passed with a B. I actually prefer the challenge I found at Carson-Newman, where I do have to listen to recorded lectures, and do the required readings, and have tests that actually impact my grade.

“I always wanted to go to a Christian college, but couldn't afford it.”

"I found that I actually focus a little more on the schoolwork, so it's a perfect fit for me. The reading can be a lot, but I also find that I learn a lot about it, of the topics, and it is very much a program for a self motivated, ‘wanting to learn’ person, definitely not someone who is just attending class to attend class. Every experience that I've had so far with Carson-Newman has been a positive one. I really did enjoy the three-day Health Assessment Residency Program.

“Part of me wished it was a little longer.”

"Part of me wished it was a little longer, but the other part of me was glad that it was only three days. It was an intense three days, a lot of learning, but every staff member that I've come in contact with, the professors, clinical instructors, student advisors, and clinical placement specialists, have just been so encouraging, and they're there to help you; they're there to help you succeed at your goals.

"And that just spoke to my heart, and still makes me smile when I think about it. As I said, the clinical site placement was a huge proponent for me to apply to Carson-Newman. It doesn't mean you don't have to do some work yourself. I did find that my employer, where I wanted to do clinical, didn't have an affiliation agreement, so I did have to work with my Education Department within my hospital to get that rolling, so that I could do the clinical hours. If you have a goal in mind, reach out to that person and talk to them to see what needs to be done.

"The affiliation agreement is just paperwork but, depending on the administrator who needs to sign that paperwork, their schedule, it can take a little bit, and it is quite nerve-racking. I'm just finishing up my first semester of clinical in Women's Health and, to be honest, Women's Health was not something that I wanted to do. I was not looking forward to it at all. I was going to go, I was going to do my hours, and in the first week I fell in love.

"To be able to touch women where they are, where they're vulnerable, where they need someone to listen to them and to encourage them that they're doing the right things, and they're doing what's best for them and their families has been a truly rewarding and eye-opening experience. I truly hope that I can do this for the rest of my life.

“I could not have survived this program without my Student Advisor.”

"I still have two clinical semesters left, so I'm interested to see if I will love those semesters as much as I am loving this one. God has met me and met needs that I didn't know needed to be met emotionally, and in my knowledge, and it is just an overwhelming experience to look at it. Even my husband says, "I've never seen you this excited about anything in a very long time." I have thoughts of what I want to do and how I can serve in a ministry moving forward when I'm done with my degree, and that's not been something that I've wanted to do for a very long time.

"I also could not have survived this program without my Student Advisor. Jennifer always seems to reach out at just the right moment, and she's there to encourage, to rejoice with me, as well as to just let me vent if I need it. And I truly hope that you can use those opportunities with your Student Advisor, and your Enrollment Counselor, to make this the best situation for you.

"This program might not be for everybody, but I do hope that you can follow where God is leading you and that it can meet your needs."