The halls and classrooms at the 兔子先生 College of Nursing are familiar places for Shermel Edwards-Maddox. A graduate of the college鈥檚 Second Degree BSN class of 2012, Edwards-Maddox returns this semester as a professor of practice.
鈥淢y focus is on practice in the clinical settings, working with students to make sure they鈥檙e getting a good clinical experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be helping students learn how to physically assess a patient, and then I will take students to the hospital so they can actually perform these assessments on patients.鈥�
Edwards-Maddox begins her new role with the college this spring, though she has worked as an adjunct professor in the college for the last three years.
Students who pursue the rigorous Second Degree BSN program bring life experiences from other professions. The accelerated program is for those who鈥檝e earned bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degrees in other fields, but now want to become registered nurses.
鈥淭his program was very challenging and I think that鈥檚 why I connect with students so well,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e sat in the same lecture halls and the same simulation lab, so I know exactly what they鈥檙e going thru because I鈥檝e been through it too.鈥�
Edwards-Maddox鈥檚 journey to the nursing profession began in a classroom. For five years, she was a science teacher at Bush High School in the Fort Bend Independent School District.
One of her goals for her nursing students is to help them see the connections between all of their classes. It鈥檚 one thing she says she needed as a nursing student. To that end she created a grid to help students organize the data they learn in each classes. For example, the grid for medications would indicate the brand name and generic name of a drug, its use, side effects and adverse effects. The system organizes the information to help students move the data into practice.
鈥淎s faculty sometimes we teach fragmented--pharmacology, fundamentals, health assessments, all as courses--and it鈥檚 hard as a student to bring it all together. I want to help them see how all these come together,鈥� she said.
In addition to teaching and overseeing students鈥� clinical experiences, Edwards-Maddox is pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing research at Texas Woman鈥檚 University. She hopes to help her students discover that same love for learning.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I teach鈥攖o see the light bulbs going off.鈥�