Meet our November Alumni Spotlight: Bailey Janes, BSN-RN
Meet Bailey, a dedicated nurse with a heart for healing and a passion for patient care, who found her calling in nursing after overcoming personal challenges and now specializes in wound care, bringing transformation and confidence to her patients’ lives. Bailey graduated from the Professional Nursing program at Bolivar Technical College in 2020. Let’s dive into our interview!
Q: Have you pursued additional education or certifications since graduating? If so, how have they enhanced your nursing practice and career prospects?
Bailey: I started my journey to a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) the August after I graduated from BTC’s RN program. I graduated with my BSN from UCM in May of 2021.
Q: How has your nursing career progressed since you graduated? What positions have you held and what are your current responsibilities?
Bailey: I started working at a Critical Access Hospital working Med Surge/ER. I did that for a year and then transitioned to the Wound Care and Infusion Department as the Nurse Manager. Over the last 2 years, I have stayed in this position and added the additional responsibility of Employee Health Nurse.
Q: What influenced your decision to pursue a career in nursing?
Bailey: I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was in high school. My great uncle had cancer and I spent a lot of time taking care of his feeding tube and radiation burns. However, there was a period of time I truly questioned that calling; I lost my cousin, who was like my sister, in the fall before I was supposed to start nursing school and almost pulled out of the program. I spent a lot of time with the Lord in that time and He really confirmed, through her, that this is what He called me to. The reward is so great! I see patients’ lives change daily and it’s my mission field. I love it!
Q: Are there any particular moments or experiences in your nursing career that have stood out to you or shaped your professional growth?
Bailey: Every day I learn something that shapes me as a professional, of course. But the moments that I experience with patients that stand out the most are those days where my conversation and relationships with patients go deeper than their diagnosis. Any day I can speak life over a patient is special to me.
Q: How is working as a nurse different from what, as a student, you expected nursing to be?
Bailey: As a student, you’re totally overwhelmed with the information! You feel like you can’t possibly become proficient with the information, and you think you have to know EVERYTHING at once. Working as a nurse, you realize that it’s okay not to know all the answers, as long as you can admit it and ask the questions. The worst thing you can do as a nurse is not be comfortable enough to say, ‘I need help with this,’ and ask a seasoned nurse or doctor.
Q: Have you specialized in any specific area of nursing? If so, what drew you to that specialization, and what are the unique challenges and rewards it has brought?
Bailey: I have specialized in wounds since graduating BTC. It really just fell into my lap. There was a need at my hospital, and I took it as an opportunity to grow and learn. It definitely hasn’t come without challenges; wounds can have some gnarly smells! The reward of seeing a patient heal and ‘graduate’ out of my care is the most rewarding thing. You see their personality and confidence transform.
Q: How have you seen the nursing profession evolve since you graduated? Are there any significant changes or trends that you find particularly noteworthy?
Bailey: The nursing profession started to evolve at the end of my school year in May 2020. COVID happened and so many changes came about. Since I have been a working RN, the camaraderie stands out as the biggest change. You’re told through nursing school that, ‘nurses eat their young,’ and I can honestly say that has not been the case. When you’re all going through the trenches and working long shifts together, there is no room for anything but teamwork and love.
Q: What advice would you give to current nursing students who are about to embark on their career path? Are there any key lessons or insights that you wish you had known when you were starting out?
Bailey: To nursing students, you know more than you think, and will learn so much in that first year on the job. Don’t forget to ask questions and give yourself grace.
Q: What would you tell someone today that is trying to decide whether to go into the nursing field or not?
Bailey: It’s one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. It’s hard, but so worth it.
Q: Have you set any personal or professional goals for yourself within the nursing field? How do you plan to achieve them?
Bailey: My biggest goal as a nurse was to get my BSN and I have accomplished that, thankfully! I graduated RN school one month before the due date of my third baby and started my BSN when she was two months old. At this point in my career, I just want to grow as a nurse and spend as much time as I can with my family.
Q: What is your favorite way to spend free time when you are not working as a nurse? Any special ways to de-stress? Fun hobbies to help unwind?
Bailey: My favorite way to spend my free time is with my husband and 3 kiddos. Any time with them is my favorite.
Thanks to Bailey for sharing her experiences and wisdom as an RN! We wish her continued success in her career and reaching her goals. If you would like to share your story about any of our programs or would like to tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating, we would love to hear it! Just email Haleigh at hgray@bolivarcollege.edu with the subject line “Alumni Spotlight”.