Natalie Frederick has spent the last 20 years building her nursing practice across a range of settings.
She started her career in the emergency room, transitioned to teaching nurses as an LPN instructor, and now guides patients toward appropriate care as a remote triage nurse.
Frederick has been recognized for the passion and empathy she brings to her practice, earning a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses after working with a distressed patient over the phone for more than hour to get her the right care.
She sought to bolster her decades of experience with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. But as a military spouse with a full-time job and three kids, earning her BSN just felt like something she could do “someday.”
“It’s something that’s always hung over my head,” she says. “I just wasn’t sure I could manage it with my life.’”
When she learned her husband would be deploying in 2026, that “someday” suddenly felt more immediate.
“I knew I’d need something to focus on while he was gone, and my goal is to become a nurse practitioner,” she says.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s online RN to BSN program helped Frederick earn her B.S. in Nursing and prepare for admission to NP school.
When “Later” Becomes “Now”
Enrolling in the RN to BSN program was one decision. Figuring out how to make it work was another.
As Frederick started her online nursing courses, she found she wasn’t navigating them on her own.
“Any time I’ve reached out to an instructor, I’ve gotten a quick response,” she says. “My advisor has been phenomenal. The whole program is very user-friendly.”
That support from faculty and staff alike made the adjustment to online learning feel natural.
The RN to BSN program’s online format also made it possible to fit coursework into her schedule.
“There’s a lot going on in my life, but it's been amazing to go back to school without worrying about travel time,” she says. “I'm able to find the time that fits in my schedule to make sure my work gets done.”
Keeping up with her coursework required a system.
Every Sunday, she’d map out her week on a whiteboard next to her desk, breaking assignments into manageable blocks of time.
“I schedule out my week down to the hour,” she says. “I write everything down and get the satisfaction of erasing each task once I finish it.”
Over time, that routine changed how the workload felt.
“My biggest takeaway is that it’s manageable,” she says. “If it’s something you really want, it’s doable.”
Just Getting Started
The insight Frederick’s gained in the program is already shaping how she approaches her work.
“Everything I’ve learned, I’ve applied to my career,” she says. “The courses taught a lot about leadership, and that’s relevant no matter the job title.”
Completing her BSN has given her the momentum to continue advancing.
She’s already applied to UL Lafayette’s Master of Science in Nursing online program to become a nurse practitioner, with a growing interest in primary care and patient education.
“Becoming a nurse has been the best decision of my life. I love getting to be a source of knowledge and comfort for patients,” she says. “I just want to be able to give more of myself to them.”
Frederick spent years wondering if going back to school was realistic. Now, she sees it differently.
“I wish I would’ve done it 15 years ago. Even though I was raising small children at that time, I still could have done it,” she says. “It’s manageable. It’s fun. It’s exciting. Just jump right in.”
Take the next step in your nursing career with UL Lafayette’s online RN to BSN program.
