Jenoy Bolden, BSN, RN, will graduate in May 2020 from Kent State University College of nursing’s Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. In life, and in school, Jenoy works to improve her personal and professional growth while being an example for others. “It was important to me to show the people in my life that it’s never too late to go back to school,” she said. “But I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.”
As a soon-to-be nurse practitioner, Jenoy will have increased responsibility for her patients and their health-related outcomes. Her love of working with people and a desire for an occupation that is both fulfilling and makes a difference in people’s lives led Jenoy to the nursing profession. “I like that nursing provides opportunities for personal and professional growth,” she said. “It’s also exciting because every day is different.”
Jenoy chose Kent State University College of Nursing over other schools because at Kent State she could be a part-time student, take classes online, and the cost of the program was fair. “Kent State has a great relationship with the local health care systems,” Jenoy said. “I knew I would receive a great education here and the faculty would prepare me for a career as a nurse practitioner.”
During her program, Jenoy was excited to learn she was pregnant with her son. “My professors showed me that juggling work, school and pregnancy could be a smooth and stress-free experience for me,” she recalled. “I took an online class while on maternity leave, and having my newborn son beside me motivated me to keep going because I needed to be an example for him. I wanted to provide him with more than I had growing up.” But Jenoy said she would not have been successful without the support of her husband and parents and the foresight to plan ahead. “The last year of the program I decided to work part-time which helped me balance everything, but it was still a lot of work,” she remembered. “There never seemed to be enough hours in the day. It was a juggling act at times, but being able to prioritize, sacrifice, and organize were key to my success, along with prioritizing quality time with my family.”
Currently, Jenoy works as a Clinical Nurse for University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. While she is still at the bedside providing direct patient care, she recognizes that she has begun to think differently while at work. “Even though I am still a few months away from graduation, I have already begun to think like a provider and that allows me to provide better care to my patients,” she said. “Thanks to my graduate program, I can now see things from a different point of view and my patients benefit from that knowledge and understanding.”
Jenoy hopes her story encourages fellow nurses to never give up on advancing their education. “Never stop challenging, pushing or setting new goals for yourself. Push to be the best version of you possible,” she said. “I’m so happy I chose Kent State University College of Nursing to complete my degree. The faculty is amazing, the campus is beautiful and the education is top-notch. I feel prepared to start the next stage of my career and I wouldn’t change a thing about how I got here.”
