As a clinical manager of a geriatric unit within the MultiCare health care system, Sheryl Ward always sought opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge. Plus, having graduated from nursing school in the 1980s, she knew what she learned in school was no longer applicable.
Spurred by her desire to continue her education every year, Sheryl went online to see what opportunities the University of Washington had to offer. Her search led her to the UW Certificate in Gerontology .
“The UW Certificate in Gerontology was exciting because it included a sociology and psychology background in addition to nursing. I found that intriguing since it was more than the knowledge I already had,” Sheryl says. “The certificate was enlightening because it covers tasks our social workers and programming team handle. I wanted to learn more about those responsibilities and bring them back to our nursing team.”
Exceptional Instruction
The mix of biology, psychology and sociology courses in the certificate gave the program a good balance of clinical and academic applications. “In the biology course, I gained valuable insights from interviewing a senior for our final project. Psychology was learning more about regular interactions with people without mental illness,” she says. “Finally, sociology was interesting because the course was about individuals who have elders live in their home versus people who opt not to because of different cultures and age groups.”
Sheryl adds since she has a full-time job with unusual hours and young adults in her family, the online format of the certificate made it possible to work school into her schedule. The easy access to the instructors also made her feel connected. “There were interactive videos, the instructors created pre-recorded PowerPoint presentations and you could ask them questions,” Sheryl says. “I scheduled meetings with all my instructors to learn their expectations.”
In Her Own Words
UW Certificate in Gerontology grad Sheryl Ward talks about her experience in the program and how it gave her an appreciation for working with the elderly population.
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Learning from Her Cohort
What surprised Sheryl the most about the certificate also ended up being one of the program’s most significant benefits — the diversity of the students taking the UW Certificate in Gerontology .
Sheryl explained she was the only nurse in her class, which also included professionals who were physical therapists, naturopaths and an adult family home operator. “Those different perspectives brought a lot to the learning process,” says Sheryl. “It was interesting to learn other people’s perspectives and how they would manage a problem slightly differently based on their background.”
Sheryl also appreciated that her cohort stayed together for the duration of the certificate instead of changing every class. “All of the students finish the program together and I like that,” she says.
Taking Her Skills to the Next Level
Completing the UW Certificate in Gerontology gave Sheryl the confidence she needed to continue her education even further. “I think the program propelled me to pursue my master’s degree in nursing,” she says. “I wasn’t sure if could complete an advanced degree, but I realized this is fun learning and opted to enroll in a program.”
Sheryl’s enthusiasm toward learning ended up paying dividends and opened an opportunity for advancement. “A position opened for the clinical director for inpatient behavioral health, including our adult and adolescent unit. I thought I had enough leadership skills and was willing to try it out,” says Sheryl.
“I was offered the position and accepted last summer. It's like our management realizes I’m willing to learn more, engage and take the extra effort to learn about patient populations I’m not as familiar with.”
Overall, Sheryl says the program is an A+ experience and has recommended the certificate to several coworkers. “The University of Washington is well renowned; equality is their number one. And then their instructors are just so knowledgeable about what they're teaching you,” Sheryl says. “They have so much skill and it's just intuitive for them. If you ask them a question, they know the answer. It's impressive.”