It’s the dream of many writers and performers to one day set up shop under the lights of Hollywood’s film studios, so it seems unlikely that someone under those bright lights would trade them for the lamps of a healthcare facility.
Charlie Charbonneau did, and he sleeps better at night because of it.
Currently a student in Georgia State’s Hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Charbonneau earned his bachelor’s of fine arts before building a career as a writer and actor. After seeing his name make the credit screen dozens of times, he thought he had accomplished enough and wanted a change of pace.
During Charbonneau's search, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, and he spent time in care centers receiving treatment. It was during these trying times – long days of fighting the disease – that he was first introduced to nurses and a profession that he wanted to pursue.
“I truly feel that nursing found me,” Charbonneau said. “I kind of had no choice but to be surrounded constantly by nurses during that challenging time. I started nursing school, and I think I was fortunate to really fall in love with the vocation. The rest is history.”
The New York native completed his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, becoming a registered nurse. After gaining experience in the field – including time at Atlanta’s Northside Hospital, where he currently works as an ICU RN Staff Resident – Charbonneau looked to advance his education, and he ultimately decided on Georgia State because of the reasonable cost and the school’s status among the Atlanta healthcare community.
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A lot of the more experienced folks – your nurse practitioners, your doctors of nursing practice, cardiology nurse specialists – just a lot of different, very experienced nurses came out of Georgia State or had positive things to say about Georgia State,” Charbonneau said. “Out of all of the different schools and different programs, Georgia State seemed to have not only the best amount of flexibility but also a very positive reputation in the nursing community.”
Charbonneau is enrolled in the 81-credit hour track for students who have completed their B.S.N., but a 39-credit hour track is available for students who have earned their M.S.N. The DNP program prepares students for a variety of career advancements in healthcare administration, professional nursing organizations, higher education and various practice settings throughout Georgia.
Although Charbonneau is only a semester into his coursework, he’s been able to use topics like electrolyte balance and interpreting renal care lab work from his advanced pathophysiology coursework last semester and EKG and cardiology material from this semester in his work.
Students in the B.S.N. program complete the requirements to sit for the national certification examination as advanced practice nurses in their preferred specialty area, while APRNs and M.S. prepared nurses widen their scope of knowledge and influence to include populations of patients, healthcare systems, evidence-based practice and technology. In addition, students in the B.S.N to D.N.P. complete 1,000 hours of clinical experience, while M.S.N to D.N.P students complete 500.
The wide array of students in the program has impacted Charbonneau’s education thus far. He’s been introduced to students with backgrounds in procedural cardiology, cardiac ICU and elementary school nursing, and the vast array of emphasis allowed him to see the potential pathways in nursing.
“I think seeing all of those different perspectives on nursing has been very valuable,” Charbonneau said “When I think about nursing, at least my day to day, I think hospital, hospital, hospital. There’s just so many different avenues, and I think at Georgia State in the classroom, you are really exposed to those different possibilities.
“Nursing is not just one type of nurse; there are so many different careers.”
When it comes to work, Georgia State ensures you can keep an existing career or start a new one. In fact, 100% of D.N.P. students work full-time and still prepare for their future careers. Charbonneau noted the importance of built-in flexibility to complete his coursework with the demands of a healthcare job.
“If I’m at work, on my lunch break, I can check a message from a professor or look up some of my notes and study,” Charbonneau said. “From a pure level of convenience, I would not be able to do it if it were just in-person. Having the online component allows me to do it.”
In the future, Charbonneau hopes to work as a family nurse practitioner and serve his community on a day-to-day basis. He spent some of his early days in nursing school as an ER technician in the psychiatric ward, and he’d like to use this background to reach similar populations.
Charbonneau’s life looks a bit different than it did a few years ago. His next degree will help better serve patients he sees on a daily basis, and he’s glad he traded Hollywood for the hospital.
“I really wanted to do something that I was proud of and had a positive impact on the people around me,” Charbonneau said. “Doing the work for the past three years, I truly feel that. It’s very challenging, but I sleep way better at night even on the hardest days as a nurse than when I was working in TV, and I think that is because I am truly proud of the work I am doing.”
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