Looking back to when I first started nursing school in 2009 at the local community college, I had worked so hard to get in, and I was excited. But I was clueless and lost. I found myself failing every class.
In 2013 I tried nursing school for a second time through a different program; I was determined to pass every class and clinical without excuses. My experience the second time around was way more pleasant. I struggled still, but I found my flow. When I started tutoring classmates and other cohorts after hours, I began to wonder if more students were struggling at other schools.
In 2014 I started a Facebook group of my own and began helping students from all over the world through one-on-one tutoring for free. After passing my boards and working for a couple of months, I officially started New Nurse University in 2016.
Why did you start New Nurse University?
When I first started my company, my mission was to help struggling nursing students in Illinois nursing programs. I wanted to see if what I had created for my studies could help others. As I began to tutor students, my mission expanded to a more diverse student population because demand came from first-time college students who were already struggling in the programs and NCLEX® candidates who had been out of school for years without passing. So, I changed my business model to focus more on underrepresented students who needed help learning how to study and what to study. When I did that, I enrolled an abundance of students in the United States and internationally.
What gaps do you see in nursing education?
As an MSN in education student, first-generation college nursing students don’t understand how to take notes and organize a study routine, and there isn’t a class for it either. Most nursing programs do not have a separate program for tutoring outside of faculty doing it. These gaps allow more at-risk students to fall through the cracks. I wish someone would have told me how to study and organize the overwhelming content given each week when I first started nursing school in 2009. Another gap I see when tutoring NCLEX® candidates is most students have memorized or crammed content to pass exams, but in the long-term, that hurts them when taking state boards. When they finally do pass state boards, I see them struggle in the field with the decision-making and clinical judgment needed for carrying out and increasing safe patient outcomes. Closing these gaps are important to me.
What makes you proud about the work you are doing?
I pride myself on the creative ways I deliver the content to students. Using collaborative pedagogies or teaching methods with examples is what helps create student transformations. I am proud to help students advance their clinical reasoning, improving clinical judgment through study organization and test-taking skills beyond passing exams. Many students relate to my story because they often feel lost when trying to understand the rigorous concepts of their nursing classes, and the testimonials I receive let me know I’m on the right track. I love the collection of lesson plans I have created because it’s transforming nursing education, and I’m doing what I love.
Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. What hurdles have you had to overcome?
I remember wanting to quit my business one day. I felt burned out from having more students than I could handle. Students were asking me if they could book me for entire semesters. While that is an excellent problem to have, it’s just me doing the tutoring. I needed a team to help grow my business. So, I spoke to one of my nurse educator mentors, and she reminded me why I was serving others and that there are things I could put in place to help me grow the business. She said, “Think about all the people you have helped pass boards. Think about how many patients they have gone on to take care of, enhancing the lives of others. Because you provide extra support through mentorship, leadership, and practical teaching, you help students transition into new nurses while advancing their financial stability through having a career. You indirectly help patient outcomes in the nursing field no matter where the new nurse may end up, and that counts for something.” I had not thought about what I was doing in that way. She helped me realize that my passion had met its purpose. I am now learning how to build a team and put things in place to help me grow and scale bigger to help more students.
What’s next for you and New Nurse University?
I want to serve in a bigger capacity as a nurse consultant bringing New Nurse University programs into schools of nursing. With the changes coming to the NCLEX® exam in 2023, many schools are looking for consultants to help them actively engage students based on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN’s) clinical judgment model. I have some innovative ideas that will help students learn about NCLEX® from day one.
I’m also in the last few classes of getting a master’s degree in nursing education from Western Governors University (WGU) and opening a consulting business and tutoring center. I’m raising money for a brick-and-mortar location and hope to be funded in whole by 2022 then open in 2023.
Renee Carter, BSN, RN, is the founder and president of New Nurse University Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She’s a member of Sigma’s Phi Upsilon Chapter.