When Melissa Arthur, dean of Nursing, Allied Health and Natural Sciences at Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), decided to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), she didn't do it alone. Arthur was part of a group of six colleagues from her college who all applied to the program together.

"We were all preparing to have the Board of Nursing come to the college to talk about a drop in pass rates, which had been happening across the colleges after COVID," Arthur says. "And I was sitting there that morning just going, 'Okay, let me see what else I can do for our program.'"

That’s when her colleague Aileen Cassada, recommended the NKU DNP program. By the end of the day, three of them had already applied.

While Arthur had an advantage over her colleagues in having a nurse practitioner background, the flexibility of her dean position presented its own challenges.

"I was never the first to complete assignments," she laughed. "They had a little more flexibility with that. But they had challenges of their own because they didn't have an MP background, so they were leaning on me for a couple of things."

However, the supportive environment within the cohort helped them all succeed, with the group holding each other accountable and encouraging those who were tempted to quit.

Arthur expects the DNP degree to open up new opportunities in both her administrative and clinical roles. In Virginia's community college system, the degree will enhance her pay and clinical ladder status. But it also allows her to contribute to evidence-based projects and improve patient care as a nurse practitioner.

The online format of the program presented its own challenges for Arthur, who had been out of school for 23 years. However, she was impressed by the faculty's dedication to maintaining strong connections with students, with some even holding optional Zoom meetings to provide additional support. "I was very impressed with that," she said.

Arthur's advice to those considering the DNP is simple: "Quit thinking about it and do it." She encourages potential candidates not to hesitate, as the experience was transformative for her. The pre-commencement celebration was a particular highlight, allowing Arthur and her colleagues to meet their instructors in person and be recognized by the college's president, Dr. Quentin Johnson who drove eight hours to attend the event. 

"If he came to the bigger ceremony, we really wouldn't have known that he was there," Arthur says. "I was able to recognize him because I spoke a little bit about us as a group going through the program, so it really meant a lot for us to have him there."