Trainee Nurses
Chandler, Arizona, (NurseSalary.org) – She is only 18 years old but is way ahead of her peers when it comes to career progress. Last week, she received her Master of Science nursing degree from the Arizona State University. The 18 – year old teenager is Danielle McBurnett.
After receiving the Masters Degree, she has yet to take the Certification exam and on clearing the exam, she will hold the title of the youngest nurse practitioner in the US. “I am currently looking for employment”, McBurnett says. While other people of her generation are busy finishing their college freshman year and still largely undecided about their career, McBurnett has steered way ahead to establish a highly satisfying career path.
Her parents, Ray and Lori McBurnett, home-schooled her in the formative years. By the time she was 12 years, she finished her high school coursework. By 15, she was a high school graduate and got herself enrolled at the ASU nursing program. Within a year of receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in May 2009, she received her Master’s Degree as well. Danielle toiled harder than others, which included 650 hours of practical clinical time for experience, apart from theoretical study. She completed the four Master semesters successfully.
According to her, age should not restrict knowledge and education. In her journey, there were people who tried discouraging and de-motivating her goals, but Danielle remained clear-sighted. She says, “I’ve been really driven forward toward achieving this goal. There have always been people who have said, ‘you can’t do this.’ I just look at that as a challenge”.
Young Nurse
Evidently, her challenge does not stop with a Master’s degree only. She has her goal set towards pediatrics sector. She chose pediatrics as she loves working with children and would like to help them be as healthy as possible. Does her life involve studies only? Apparently not. She manages to take out time to spend with her friends and play the piano. Early in 2010, she represented the 2010 Arizona Colleen. Danielle is also interested in participating in the Miss Arizona content to represent the state in the Miss America Pageant.
Further, she has her sight set on returning school to pursue a doctorate degree in nursing and / or go to a law school to study health care reforms and policy. As she says, “I like being busy. I feel like I’ve been so blessed. It’s a blessing for me to get to share this with others”.
