Growing up in the heart of Lafayette, Shantell Dugas always felt a calling to make a meaningful impact in her community.
Today, as a nurse practitioner at the Ochsner Cancer Center of Acadiana, she embodies that commitment by bringing compassion and expertise to her patients every day.
How did she get to this point? It小蝌蚪APP檚 a story marked by her pursuit of multiple degrees, including the online RN to BSN and MSN programs at UL Lafayette.
In her role, Dugas navigates a range of patient needs, specializing in hematology and oncology.
小蝌蚪APP淢y days consist of managing chemotherapy infusions and patient clinic visits,小蝌蚪APP she says.
Her mission? To make a difference in every life she touches.
From LPN to RN
Dugas小蝌蚪APP journey in healthcare began at a local technical college, where she earned her LPN certification in 2006.
Upon starting her career at 小蝌蚪APP Medical Center, a valuable opportunity to advance her education arose.
小蝌蚪APP淭hey encouraged going back to school,小蝌蚪APP she recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淪o I returned to Alexandria, where I earned my associate degree in nursing.小蝌蚪APP
But with her associate degree under her belt, she still felt a lingering urge to keep going.
Driven by her aspiration to lead, Dugas knew she needed to continue her education. This time, she enrolled in the online RN to BSN program at UL Lafayette.
Continuing to Climb
Balancing full-time work, studies, and family life, Dugas realized that juggling these responsibilities would require a solid strategy.
小蝌蚪APP淧rioritizing and staying engaged is really important as an online student,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey give you a syllabus, a schedule of when things are going to be due, and when you're going to be testing, so I liked to make a calendar to help organize myself and make sure I was on top of those things.小蝌蚪APP
While working through the RN to BSN program, she was also caring for her child and working full time.
小蝌蚪APP淚t came with a lot of late nights and early mornings,小蝌蚪APP she says.
But with the flexibility of online education, she made it work.
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 easy to access even from your phone at all times,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淎lthough it is a discipline, the beauty of online learning is the flexibility and structure.小蝌蚪APP
Beyond the flexible schedule, the support from the faculty made a significant impact.
小蝌蚪APP淭he instructors were easy to access through email, some even gave you their personal phone numbers,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淣o matter what the question was, they were always there.小蝌蚪APP
Reaching New Heights
After completing the RN to BSN program, Dugas realized she needed more qualifications to advance her career.
小蝌蚪APP淥nce I earned my bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚, I didn't necessarily get as many opportunities as I expected,小蝌蚪APP she admits. 小蝌蚪APP淪o I said, 小蝌蚪APP榃ell, the only way to make more opportunity for yourself is to go back to school.小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP
Determined to open new doors, Dugas returned to UL Lafayette to pursue her MSN degree.
And the convenience of online learning proved invaluable once again.
小蝌蚪APP淚t really helped with time management,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 didn小蝌蚪APP檛 have to leave my job to be able to continue my education.小蝌蚪APP
Balancing the demands of a master小蝌蚪APP檚 program with a growing family, she relied on her well-honed skills in time management and organization.
小蝌蚪APP淏y the time I was in the master小蝌蚪APP檚 program, I had two kids. I worked full-time, did clinicals, and everything else the program required,小蝌蚪APP she says.
But her husband, a steadfast partner since her days as an LPN, was a pillar of support.
"If he saw I had an assignment to complete, or if I was stressed about a test or something, he was just there to listen,小蝌蚪APP she says.
小蝌蚪APP淗e will never know how much I love and appreciate him because even though it wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 necessarily his dream, he was always supportive of anything I wanted to do to further my education or career.小蝌蚪APP
Bringing it All Together
Today, Dugas pours her passion into community involvement through , a program that educates participants on local needs and impact strategies.
"I'm really liking that because I'm learning a lot about community law and how to make a difference," she explains.
Beyond Leadership Lafayette, Dugas stays involved in her community by volunteering for events sponsored by her employer and serving on the NHS Viking Alumni Association board.
And while she小蝌蚪APP檚 made significant strides, her journey is far from over.
In fact, she小蝌蚪APP檚 even considering taking her education a step further by pursuing a doctorate degree.
"I小蝌蚪APP檓 still interested in learning the business aspect and one day possibly owning my own business," she says.
As she looks to the future, she emphasizes the importance of investing in yourself.
小蝌蚪APP淎 nursing instructor told this to me, and I never forgot it, 小蝌蚪APP楴ever forget to pay yourself once you小蝌蚪APP檙e done,小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淎nd remember that nothing worth having comes easy. Don小蝌蚪APP檛 give up on yourself because you never know what小蝌蚪APP檚 going to find you.小蝌蚪APP
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