Shilo Covey began her operating room career in 1993 as a surgical technician for the U.S. Army, and after eight years of service, she started on her journey to toward her current position as a staff registered nurse at Baylor Scott & White Health in Temple, Texas, and adjunct clinical instructor at Temple College where she earned her ADN in 2006.
“When I joined the Army Reserves, one of their requirements is to have a BSN,” she said. “Also, a lot of organizations have recently been promoting BSN-level nursing. I decided I might as well get my BSN, because I also had the benefit of military tuition.”
Covey doubled down at UTA — first completing the online RN to BSN program in 2012 and then earning her Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration in 2018. She also holds a bachelor’s in Healthcare Management (2008) and an MBA in Healthcare Administration (2014).
She chose UTA’s nursing programs to leverage the university’s partnership with Baylor Scott & White.
She found that the coursework and instruction at UTA spurred her interest to learn more outside of the confines of an academic setting.
“One of my professors did a lot of outside research in nursing about people’s attitudes versus their behavior,” Covey said. “I remember learning that and being inspired to do some of my own reading and my own research outside of the class.”
The education Covey received in the digital classrooms of UTA and beyond has done much to build up her confidence as a leader in all aspects of her life.
“Not only do I feel like a leader in my operating room, I feel like a leader in the other organizations I’m a part of,” she said. “I’m still in the military reserves, so just by my rank, I hold some leadership responsibilities. Those classes gave me an opportunity to reflect on how to lead using different styles and when they’re appropriate.”
Teaching Experience
Covey’s experiences as an online student have led her to some great places in her career. Now, she is using her experience in her own classrooms.
“A lot of what I brought with me from that master’s program is what the role of a professional nurse is and what it means to hold a higher degree,” she said. “It says a lot about my personal and my professional motivation to reach that level, and I want to inspire others to do that as well.”
As an instructor, Covey works with level one, first semester nursing students who are brand new to the field of nursing.
“It’s easy for me to recall what it was like to be that person, so I have a lot of sympathy and compassion for them,” she said. “I try my best to instill confidence in them and let them know that one day their learning will come together. They will get more confident. They will get more training. They will get to be an expert in whatever field they choose.”
Covey’s roles as a nursing student, staff nurse and nurse instructor give her a unique perspective to pass on to fledgling nurses.
“When you’re in the classroom setting, it’s by the book, it’s structured, it’s planned,” she said. “Even when we do hands-on training, I have to remind them this is not necessarily reality. When you become a nurse on the floor, you may have to do nursing off the cuff, think critically and use the experiences you’ve had or things you’ve heard from other experienced nurses and make it your own.”
As someone who has dedicated her life to nursing, Covey also asks her students to think about their role as nurses outside of their first years and even clinical settings.
“Nursing is about keeping up with the standards, with evidence-based practice and the research that’s going on,” she said. “It’s representing your profession in a manner that speaks highly of nursing. I represent nursing even when I don’t have my scrubs on.”
The Road Taken
In addition to nursing and teaching, volunteering gives Covey yet another avenue to put her education into practice.
“We have a program here in Temple called Feed My Sheep that offers warm meals to homeless and impoverished people within our community,” she said. “I had been going there and donating my time, but now I am more cognizant of the clientele. In writing my final paper [for the MSN program], I learned more about the population we were serving, the impact we had on them and how the community could better serve them.”
There is no doubt that Covey has a lot on her plate, but even with so much going on, she says that making it through an accelerated online program requires time for self-care.
“I took Saturdays off to clean up my house, wash my clothes and visit friends,” she said. “Sunday afternoons I would get a head start on the following week. When you’re balancing multiple classes and multiple due dates you’ve got to be very organized.”
For Covey, earning a degree — or five — means more than merely building a career. It is a personal achievement aspiring nurses should consider.
“Going from RN to BSN shows a high degree of professionalism,” she said. “Even with the shift toward BSN-level nursing in organizations, you need to see the value in getting that BSN,” she said. “Continuing to pursue your MSN also shows your personal and professional motivation.”
While earning an advanced degree isn’t easy, Covey believes reaching one’s destination is worth the trip.
“It is a sacrifice to put a lot of time and effort into school when you’re already working a full-time job, have a family and everything else,” she said. “I think it’s worth the effort, and it’s nice to have earned it. Once you earn it, they can’t take it away from you.”
Learn more about UTA’s RN to BSN and MSN in Nursing Administration online programs.
