Sally, RN, Student, Mom, Wife

Mom, wife, RN, student. These are the labels Sally Donnelly balances daily and wears proudly. After graduating with her BSN in 2011 from UofSC Upstate, Sally worked in the ER as a level one trauma nurse for four years before enrolling in South Carolina's FNP-DNP program to expand her scope of practice. In the ER, Sally treated many critical trauma patients, but she also saw a large population of patients using the ER as a form of  everyday care, “caring for patients in the ER was eye opening, not only because of the intense codes or dramatic injuries, but because the majority of patients weren’t experiencing true emergencies.” Sally hopes to improve the availability of health care providers with her degree, “I love the ER for the public safety net that it serves- but my goal with receiving my FNP-DNP is to help alleviate the healthcare provider shortage in my community.”

As a mother and working nurse, Sally chose UofSC Nursing's DNP program to allow her flexibility in her daily life. Sally has developed relationships with her peers from across the country and believes this has been a beneficial aspect of the program.  The long nights and early mornings are all worth it for Sally when she thinks about her three daughters, “my hope is that my children will learn firsthand that determination, hard work, and passion will lead you in the right direction!” As for others looking to further their degree but are hesitant to take on the feat she says, “I encourage others to take the chances, get out in the world and be the change you want to see within the community in order to prepare the world for future generations. It’s our duty to care for each other.”