Student Profile Archives

Paula Nee
Applying Skills to the Workplace!

Paula Nee is a strong advocate for education and believes it should be an on-going process. “Education is important because it helps you stay abreast of what is new and emerging in your field,” she said.

Nee, a UMBC Instructional Systems Design (ISD) graduate student, earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and her master’s degree in nursing education, with a concentration in professional development, from UMB. Upon completion, she embarked on a career focusing on developing and teaching courses specific to health care providers.

While employed at the University of Maryland Medical Center she was interested in continuing her education in order to broaden her training capabilities. Based on recommendations from coworkers, Nee enrolled in the ISD program. “To me, it was important to find a program that offered a systematic process and in-depth look at how to design training programs,” she said.

UMBC’s program encompassed what she was seeking. In the program, Nee focused on developing computer based training and distance learning, which she applied to her internship at the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I’ve applied all of the skills and techniques I’ve learned in class into the workplace: from analysis, design, development, implementation, to evaluation,” she said. “Learning how to develop effective tutorials and job aids has given me the skills to become a better trainer.”

Broadening her training capabilities and taking advantage of the many opportunities offered at UMBC paid off when she was hired full time at the Department of Health and Human Services.

In the health care industry, training is a continuous process – with most fields requiring extensive initial and annual training. Through the UMBC program, Nee achieved her ultimate goal of developing effective training solutions and teaching people in the health care industry how to effectively perform in their jobs.