杏吧原创

During his capstone project in his master鈥檚 program, Brian Pervis realized something important: Education, when done well, has a lasting impact on direct practice. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I realized I wanted to teach,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ot just content鈥攂ut confidence, competence, and critical thinking.鈥�

In Enero 2022, Pervis joined 杏吧原创 as a part-time faculty member, then transitioned to full-time teaching, and now serves as a department chair in the School of Nursing. Now in his fifth year, he oversees several important associate nursing courses that hundreds of students take each year.

Pervis earned his Associate of Science in Nursing in 2009 and passed the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse on his first attempt. Leveraging transfer credit from his associate degree, he also earned a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts with Excelsior in 2009, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2011. The journey to becoming a department chair began more than 20 years ago when he became an emergency medical technician at his mother鈥檚聽suggestion.

Called to Education

He enjoyed the fast-paced atmosphere of being an EMT and helping others, but he wanted to pursue a different career. So, he became a licensed practical nurse in 2001 and began working for various health care networks in New Haven, Connecticut. Still, the urge to learn and grow nagged at Pervis. A visiting representative of 杏吧原创鈥攖hen College鈥攖o Pervis鈥� workplace convinced him to 鈥済ive it a shot.鈥� Three degrees later, Pervis not only supervises but also teaches several nursing courses, like NUR聽104 and NUR聽105.

鈥淭he part that I like about teaching 鈥� is the students,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to get better and better themselves鈥擫PN students that are going up to become RNs 鈥� [and then] going further to get their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. We鈥檙e also seeing paramedics that are transitioning to becoming nurses.鈥� He adds that it becomes personal when students reach out to thank him for his mentorship and聽teaching.

That connection is especially evident during Commencement ceremonies, which Pervis describes as his favorite moments of the year. In a mostly asynchronous learning environment, Commencement is where virtual relationships become personal. 鈥淲hen you see students, they say, 鈥楬ey, you鈥檙e Dr. Pervis.鈥� It鈥檚 that personal connection. And they鈥檙e so thankful. They鈥檙e so grateful,鈥� he聽says.

Having attended multiple Commencement ceremonies as a student, he also understands the excitement. 鈥淚t gives me butterflies,鈥� he admits. 鈥淚 know what they鈥檙e going through. I know how meaningful this聽is.鈥�

Adult learners, Pervis also notes, often juggle work, family, and school, so he says it鈥檚 important to believe you can get to that finishing line. In fact, he says, dedication is a defining trait of successful Excelsior students. He tells his own: 鈥淏e dedicated to your studies. Don鈥檛 take the shortcut. Take the long way. 鈥� Students who are truly dedicated, that show up every day, they put the work in鈥攜ou鈥檙e going to leave Excelsior better than [how] you came in.鈥�

Meeting Students Where They聽Are

Pervis鈥� deep understanding of the adult learning experience has helped him reimagine how clinical and laboratory skills are taught in the distance-learning model. For instance, in the nursing lab courses, students demonstrate skills such as head-to-toe assessments or IV administration by recording themselves practicing on consenting family members or friends. Faculty members then provide detailed feedback aligned with structured聽rubrics.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 see too many people doing that right now because it meets the student where they鈥檙e at,鈥� explains Pervis. 鈥淚t allows the students [to perform] in the comfort of their聽home.鈥�

Pervis鈥� commitment to teaching also shapes how he views higher education鈥檚 future. For instance, the use of artificial intelligence continues to expand, and today鈥檚 students must learn how to responsibly interact with it. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more about responsible AI use because health care systems are using AI,鈥� Pervis says. 鈥淎nd if we don鈥檛 adapt to that, our students are going to be behind. So we have to kind of understand that and kind of gear ourselves towards聽that.鈥�

Needing to adapt is why Pervis believes lifelong learning is essential, not optional. 鈥淲e have to get better. We have to adapt to the changes. So, you have to be a lifelong聽learner.鈥�

Preparing the Next Generation of Nurses

Believing in lifelong learning means putting ideas into action, and Pervis takes that message straight to students. Recently, Camille Dumont, associate director for Career Readiness at 杏吧原创, featured Pervis in a Career Caf茅鈥攁n interactive webinar connecting students and alumni with career resources and professionals across聽industries.

During the session, Pervis challenged attendees to think intentionally about their futures. 鈥淲hat kind of nurse do you want to be remembered as?鈥� he asked. 鈥淒o you want to be this nurse or that kind of nurse? So, just answer that question. It鈥檚 going to help you determine your career聽path.鈥�

Pervis talked about how nursing careers are layered and that growth requires planning, humility, resilience, and a commitment to lifelong learning. He touched on how depth matters more than speed; it鈥檚 important not to rush your development. Pervis also discussed how success in nursing also means building your reputation thoughtfully, exploring entrepreneurship strategically, and protecting your聽well-being.