A Voice for Change
Samantha Karp is passionate about nursing and is ready to make an impact on nursing policy. After graduating from Gonzaga with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Karp worked bedside at a hospital in Colorado and then as a travel nurse during the pandemic. While she enjoyed the challenge, she felt she could contribute more to the field and decided to go back to school.
“When I started doing my search for a master's program, I found specific tracks for an advanced practice role. I wanted something with a broader leadership focus and Gonzaga’s MSN in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare (MSN-NLH) was one of the only programs that I could find.”
Karp continued “I like that it wouldn't pigeonhole me into one specific track or field, this could lead to so many different things. Everyone from my cohort and from my classes are pursuing wildly different career choices and experiences.”
When she started the program, Karp knew she wanted more from her nursing career but did not have a specific goal in mind. She said the MSN-NLH classes opened her mind to a variety of new possibilities for her future.
“There was a little bit of everything, which is really wonderful and I’m really grateful for that because I had no idea that I was going to be interested in policy or legal or regulatory issues,” said Karp.
Karp developed a love for policy thanks to her Legal, Regulatory and Ethics class and it was this new knowledge and her own experience with staffing challenges that helped her find her focus.
The MSN-NLH program requires a practicum where students apply their nursing knowledge in real-world situations. During her practicum, Karp focused on organizations who had experience with creating and setting policy.
She connected with a policy adviser with the American Nurses Association Policy and Government Affairs Team. Working with the advisor, her team and lobbyists on regulatory issues, Karp felt nurses needed more influence on policy around the country and she wanted to be part of the negotiations.
“Working with the American Nurses Association and watching this team fight for safe staffing was really important to me,” said Karp.
Karp graduated with her masters in December of 2022 and is now applying for policy-related fellowships and internships so she can gain the knowledge to have an impact on nursing and patient policy in the future.
Karp is grateful for her Gonzaga undergraduate and graduate level experiences and wants students looking to expand their nursing careers to consider Gonzaga’s Online MSN-NLH program.
“If you want to have doors opened into the world of nursing leadership, this is definitely a great program to go through.”
“When I started doing my search for a master's program, I found specific tracks for an advanced practice role. I wanted something with a broader leadership focus and Gonzaga’s MSN in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare (MSN-NLH) was one of the only programs that I could find.”
Karp continued “I like that it wouldn't pigeonhole me into one specific track or field, this could lead to so many different things. Everyone from my cohort and from my classes are pursuing wildly different career choices and experiences.”
When she started the program, Karp knew she wanted more from her nursing career but did not have a specific goal in mind. She said the MSN-NLH classes opened her mind to a variety of new possibilities for her future.
“There was a little bit of everything, which is really wonderful and I’m really grateful for that because I had no idea that I was going to be interested in policy or legal or regulatory issues,” said Karp.
Karp developed a love for policy thanks to her Legal, Regulatory and Ethics class and it was this new knowledge and her own experience with staffing challenges that helped her find her focus.
The MSN-NLH program requires a practicum where students apply their nursing knowledge in real-world situations. During her practicum, Karp focused on organizations who had experience with creating and setting policy.
She connected with a policy adviser with the American Nurses Association Policy and Government Affairs Team. Working with the advisor, her team and lobbyists on regulatory issues, Karp felt nurses needed more influence on policy around the country and she wanted to be part of the negotiations.
“Working with the American Nurses Association and watching this team fight for safe staffing was really important to me,” said Karp.
Karp graduated with her masters in December of 2022 and is now applying for policy-related fellowships and internships so she can gain the knowledge to have an impact on nursing and patient policy in the future.
Karp is grateful for her Gonzaga undergraduate and graduate level experiences and wants students looking to expand their nursing careers to consider Gonzaga’s Online MSN-NLH program.
“If you want to have doors opened into the world of nursing leadership, this is definitely a great program to go through.”