Hi, I’m Victorria. No, that’s not a typo in my name it’s just one of the uniquely odd things about me that make me me. I am a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. I have been extended the privilege of working with children and their families in pediatric critical care for over 25 years. That’s only one of the cool things about my life. I am also an educator. I have had the honor of learning from and facilitating the learning of thousands of nurses over the course of my career.

I serendipitously found my way into nursing education in 2002 a few short months after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. Honestly, I am still shocked to this day that I was offered my first faculty position. I hid it well, but I was arrogantly ignorant. During my interview with the college president, he made a point to inform me he was in need of an educator who happened to also be a nurse rather than a nurse educator. I didn’t fit that description. Even more concerning, I privately, but vehemently disagreed with him. After all, I was a masters prepared nurse from an ivy league institution and it takes a nurse to teach someone how to become a nurse. He hired me despite my shortcomings.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to realize I had never been more wrong in my life. I humbly learned all that I could from mentors who were master educators as well as my students. Additionally, I acquired formal preparation for the role. With each educational pursuit I realize how much more I have yet to learn. I now embrace my identity as an educator who happens to be a nurse. So much so, that I am now pursuing a MS in Instructional Design and Technology at Walden University. The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my experience along the way.