Barbara James ’00/’04
Tell us about your current position:
I am currently practicing as a private contractor in the primary care setting, specializing in veteran health care. In my role, I provide primary, preventative, and chronic disease care management. Additionally, I am in the final stages of starting a private practice for a tele-health Obesity and Weight Management Clinic.
Were there any professors, mentors, or courses that had an impact on you?
All of the professors and adjunct faculty from my years as a student at SUNY Brockport played a key role in my nursing development. I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Margie Lovette -Scott and Dr. Kathy Peterson, as they shared their knowledge, encouragement, and genuine friendship during some of my difficult times in college that helped give me the strength to move forward and succeed!
The courses and clinical hours provided during my years at SUNY Brockport helped me transition into my new role as a registered nurse after practicing as a licensed practical nurse. I felt prepared, and, in hindsight, I worked alongside other new nurses from other colleges who experienced more difficulty with their transition, which gave me more of a sense of gratitude that I attended SUNY Brockport’s Nursing Program.
Secondly, when I decided to further my education to obtain my Master’s Degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, SUNY Brockport was my first choice. I had moved away to Charlotte, North Carolina, at the time, and when I called Dr. Lovette-Scott to inquire if they had such a program, to my amazement, she informed me they were just approved to start a Master’s/FNP Program. Dr. Scott was elated that I was interested and encouraged me to return to the Rochester area by the start of the program, as she felt I would be a great fit. I packed up my bags and my young daughter, and we returned. It was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I was in one of the first classes to graduate from the MSN/FNP Program. The program was intense and required more clinical hours than other MSN/FNP Programs in the area. Additionally, it required the candidate to have practiced for at least 2 years as a registered nurse to ensure they entered the program with a foundation of clinical knowledge. From my perspective, it was one of the greatest requirements to date. Any nurse who climbs the education ladder from BSN to MSN to Doctorate Degree(s) without some clinical foundational knowledge will struggle to maximize their role in the health care world.
Lastly, because of the meticulous thought process of all parties involved in preparing the curriculum, the MSN/FNP Program at SUNY Brockport positioned me for success. I excelled, and when I graduated, employers were seeking me out, and the rest is history!
Did you take part in any extracurricular activities, internships, or campus organizations?
I was blessed to be able to take an HIV Mini-Residency Program through the University of Rochester to specialize in the care of people living with HIV. I was also inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society during my doctoral studies at St. John Fisher and awarded “The Diversity Scholarship Grant” from the Kodak Company.
While teaching in an LPN Program at Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), I partnered with a local community health program started by a nurse, Teresa Bowick, called the “Conkey Cruisers Program.” Together, we were able to establish the first specialty community health clinical rotation for students, which provided them with an up-close and personal opportunity to experience the health burdens, struggles, and triumphs of youth in the inner city. Students could play a key role in understanding the obstacles that youth face and then help partner, educate, and equip those youth with strategic tools to help improve their health. Sharing those tools with their families and friends also has a positive impact on the health of their community.
Were there any “aha” moments during your time at Brockport?
The importance of preparing nurses with a foundation of clinical experience and didactic knowledge in real time. No “fluff stuff,” not students learning and doing well in the classroom setting, but ensuring they can apply that knowledge to critically think in the clinical setting.
When I noticed other fellow nurse practitioners struggling with this concept, the programs they attended did not require such rigorous requirements as Brockport. I had to complete 700 clinical hours in my master’s program when other colleges only required 500, and if you did not perform well when your clinical instructor came to test you out, you had an additional 40 hours tacked onto that number.
However, when I was able to confidently settle in my role as a new FNP, and others struggled, it was my “aha” moment!
If you had to attribute your success to one thing at Brockport, what would it be?
I would attribute my success to the role models, aka “sheros.” The bold, intelligent, fearless women (the professors and adjunct faculty) I watched and engaged with every day. Their passion for nursing and caring for people, including students. We came from all walks of life with different struggles, trying to succeed in this intense nursing program, we had young children, husbands, full/part-time jobs, and student drama. I attribute it to “living while life happens.” The professors at Brockport kept me (us) grounded to keep our eyes on the prize!
What advice would you give to current students?
I would first advise students to do some deep soul searching to be sure nursing is the career path they want to take. Not to discourage students, but to ensure this is the path they truly seek. This is not a career to pursue haphazardly for clout or financial gain. Nursing is a career where you will always give more than you receive. You will have days when you laugh, cry, feel overwhelmed, burned out, or simply question why you chose this path. The good news is if you have a passion for caring for others, changing the world one patient at a time, and helping to improve the lives and health of others, then this is the call to you!
Study hard……eat, drink, and sleep nursing! Go the extra mile by making yourself available for any and every opportunity to increase your knowledge. Gravitate to those in the classroom and clinical setting who know their stuff. Offer yourself up to be mentored by those you can learn from, get what they can give you, ALL OF IT! Make a pact with yourself to dissect everything, tear it all down, and build it back up. Understand how everything works from the simplest cellular level, don’t just do what is required of you, do more!
Lastly, be kind to yourself. This journey is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t get it at first, keep going back until you do because “the race is not given to the swift or the strong, but to the one that endures until the end.” If you follow these few tips, I promise you will soar like an “eagle” when you enter this industry…..I will be waiting for you!