Merriman Achieves Long Awaited Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
Amy Merriman, a native of Paragould, Arkansas, has earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in December from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, marking a long-awaited accomplishment.
Going to school for nursing was not originally in Merriman’s plan. With a long line of educators in her family, she always thought that would be the career path she would go down. She has lived in Little Rock for 20 years and was always familiar with the UA Little Rock. So when she decided to return to school, she knew it would be this university.
Her journey in nursing started early. As a child, Merriman was always helping others, whether it was caring for the elderly in her church, babysitting, or even nursing stray and hurt animals like possums, raccoons, and squirrels back to health. She has always had a passion for helping people and wanted to put it to use in her career.
“I wanted to fulfill my need for helping people while also giving back to my community,” Merriman said. Taking care of others is like my love language.”
As her children got older, she knew she wanted to go back to school. “I put it off for so long because of my kids and finally, it got to a point where I did not have any more excuses.”
With UA Little Rock being so close to her home, and a campus that was easy to navigate, she knew it was a good choice for herself while raising a family.
Merriman began her nursing career in 2020. The world looked entirely different. When she started her associate degree in nursing, it was in-person and very interactive. Then, COVID hit and her learning environment had to be adjusted to the changing world. By March 2020, hospitals could no longer allow nursing students to do their clinical rotations in person. She had to do her nursing clinicals with virtual patients through an online platform.
Despite these challenges, Merriman made lifelong connections with her classmates and professors. One of her professors, Dr. Joanna Hall, director of nursing simulation, stood out to her.
“She made something difficult to learn, fun. I looked forward to her lectures. She added her special touch to her lessons which were filled with so much information.”
Another professor, Kyle Webb, also had a unique way of teaching and made difficult concepts easy to understand. Merriman also describes hanging out with classmates after class and getting lunch together. She said these connections were vital to her success and very important.
“It says a lot about the program that you were able to form connections that went beyond school.” she noted.
Merriman’s final advice to students is this, “Learn how to adapt! That’s not a skill easily taught. Nursing school gives us a foundation, but it’s very different once you’re in the field. It’s the hands-on work that shapes who you are as a nurse, and you must be able to adapt to an ever-changing field.”
Merriman is looking forward to graduating and starting the next chapter. After graduation, she plans to take a break before jumping into her master’s degree in nursing.
“I am excited. I kind of feel like it has been a long time coming,” she said. “There have been a lot of things in the way, but I did not stop and I am so proud of myself.”
This story was written by Rian Newman.
