Koch Explores Passion for Emotional Wellness in RN-BSN Program

Meet Dylan Koch, an RN to BSN student and upcoming Fuld Institute researcher.

Koch’s interest in the intersection between healthcare and emotional wellness has inspired his career and education in nursing. The College of Nursing's emphasis on wellness, visible through their faculty and curriculum, ultimately led Koch to pursue Ohio State’s online RN to BSN program.

Can you tell us about your background and how you got interested in nursing?

My background is pretty colorful and nonlinear. I am a non-traditional student, and it has really taken life's slings and arrows that caused me to consider nursing in the first place. After losing my job as a boat builder, I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper and explore my identity. I ended up deciding to be a little courageous and try nursing.

How did you know Ohio State’s Online RN to BSN program was the right choice for you?

There were moments of inspiration and moments of marinating on The Ohio State University’s research and environment. The positive psychology aspects of what the College of Nursing, Ohio State, and the Chief Wellness Officer, Bernadette Melnyk represented were important. It was encouraging to me that the College of Nursing had a Chief Wellness Officer because I know that is the future-looking kind of orientation and that emphasis on wellness is important to me. Another turning point was getting to go to The ANCC Magnet Conference for Nursing. I got to see Lynn Gallagher-Ford speak, who is one of the chief organizers of the Fuld Institute here at Ohio State. She is non-traditional in her own right, and the feelings I got from hearing her speak were so dynamic.

How are you able to stay motivated as an online student?

Online programs are good for people that are intrinsic learners that can motivate themselves. You need that little spark to get you back in front of the computer and get on with your studies. From my meditation app, I have found the importance of finding this inspiration. I have learned cognitive-behavioral principles that wrap around the context of Buddhism, for example, the idea of “inspiration, intention, action, and repetition.” The good thing about meditation is that it gives you the opportunity to learn balance – a key principle for balancing online school.

Can you tell us about your upcoming role in the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare?

An instructor of mine from an evidence-based practice class was the one that brought this position to my attention. I was burned out from working in transplant ICU and was ready to take a risk with this new position. They are setting up an evidence-independent study class for me which focuses on combining clinical experience, research evidence, and patient preferences to improve care delivered to patients. I am going to be able to work side-by-side with some of the leaders in nursing research and some of my personal mentors. My whole aim with working at the Fuld Institute for EBP is to open up and understand science better.

I know that I want to understand myself and science better so I can make changes for the world and help in some capacity because it is so desperately needed. In my future, I think I want to pursue a Ph.D. in nursing. I want to look at the intersection between health, wellness, and emotions, and understand how those feelings project out onto society for the good or bad. Ever since I began attending Ohio State Online classes, I have learned the scope and scale of health disparities. Health is about more than absence of disease, so I am interested in understanding how we can be more compassionate towards ourselves and others.