Magy Yasin is watering the seeds of a healthcare career planted long ago. Her mother, Mona, worked as a medical assistant, and it wasn’t unusual for little Magy to tag along when a babysitter could not be found.
“I went to her office, saw what she did and liked it,” Yasin said. “I wanted to be involved, but I wanted to be a bit more involved than she was. That’s why I chose nursing — it’s as involved as you can get.”
Yasin graduated from William Paterson University’s online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in May 2021. However, she already had three years of healthcare experience under her belt by the time she finished.
“I had planned to get the bachelor’s degree,” she said. “It’s something you have to do as a nurse. After high school, I took a little break to work until I was 21. Then, I went back.”
Four months before graduation, Yasin found a job with an agency that provides COVID-19 vaccines for inmates in New Jersey. She has also worked as an RN at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville.
Of the universities Yasin was considering for her BSN, William Paterson stood out because it checked all the boxes.
“I liked how fast-paced it was and how quickly I could finish my degree,” she said. “The online aspect was really appealing because I could work and go to school at the same time.”
Yasin found the weekly deadlines in the online program to be manageable.
“As long as my work was done before midnight on Sundays, everything was good,” she said. “I didn’t have to worry about the schedule conflicting with my work. It was also all at my own pace. It was the perfect program for my lifestyle.”
Ready, Player One
Yasin, who is an avid gamer in her free time, was born in Jersey City. She also lived in Bayonne for several years before settling in her hometown. She graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Essex County College in 2020 before transitioning into the bachelor’s degree program.
“I want to get back into the hospital and be in the intensive care unit doing critical care,” she said. “Having the BSN makes me much more marketable in the nursing field, as opposed to just having your associate degree.”
Advanced Pathophysiology, taught by Dr. Lydia Albuquerque, was Yasin’s favorite course in the online RN to BSN curriculum.
“That course went into depth with disease processes, which we come across a lot in the field,” she said. “The professor was also very good, involved and helpful, which is super important in an online program. We could call or text her any time if we had questions.”
Several of the courses in the program helped Yasin broaden her perspective and add more knowledge to her real-world experience.
“The Advanced Health Assessment of the Adult Client course allowed me to develop my skills as a nurse,” she said. “We have to do our assessments, but it allowed me to open my mind more and not just scratch the surface. It helped me look at certain things that I didn’t think to look at before.
“In Advanced Pharmacology, we talked about the medications and drugs we need to administer and what to look out for. I learned a lot about the medications and treatments that people are prescribed. I definitely got good value out of the program.”
Garden State of Mind
Yasin hopes to work toward her career goal now that she has a bachelor’s degree.
“I have plans to someday become a certified registered nurse anesthetist and work under an anesthesiologist,” she said. “You can work administering anesthesia in operating rooms or do same-day surgery. I love Jersey. If I were to leave, I wouldn’t go any further than New York.”
For Yasin, remaining ahead with schoolwork was the biggest key to success in the bachelor’s degree program.
“Even though it’s all online, it is fast-paced and the semesters fly by,” she said. “You could miss a couple of days and be behind.
“You never want to be trying to catch up — you want to be ahead of the game. It’s important to try to do as much as you can and stay on top of everything.”
One year after graduating with an associate degree, Yasin put the finishing touches on the BSN by walking the graduation stage at William Paterson. Meeting the professors in person proved to be a highlight for her.
“It was fun,” she said. “I was worried we weren’t going to have the opportunity to have an in-person ceremony because of the pandemic, but we got to do it.
“My mom is so happy for me. She has seen me go through this whole journey. It was a long journey, but I finally did it.”
Learn more about William Paterson’s online RN to BSN program.
