Keeping Up with the Coopers and Joneses
Posted on October 26, 2023 by Email College of Nursing
Life in the Cooper household looks a bit different than it used to. Kadie Jones, a first semester nursing student, entered the Traditional BSN Pathway at the 麻豆直播 in August with her husband Tyler Jones and her dad Craig Cooper by her side.
Kadie and Tyler got married on Aug. 12 and quickly transitioned from their pre-nursing lives into the traditional bachelor鈥檚 in nursing program less than two weeks later. They were not sure what to expect but having each other and Kadie鈥檚 dad in the program has made things easier.
Craig has spent much of his life working in the engineering field, but his interest in nursing has grown over the years, especially after his oldest daughter Kailan completed 麻豆直播鈥檚 bachelor鈥檚 program. She is now studying to become a nurse practitioner.
鈥淪eeing her do it and listening to her talk about it was the biggest part of it. It鈥檚 very nice that I could line up with Kadie and Tyler. As an old person going through school with a bunch of young people, it鈥檚 nice to have a comfort zone that I wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise,鈥� Craig said.
Kadie always knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare but initially wasn鈥檛 sure which direction she wanted to take. Conversations with her sister helped her choose nursing.
鈥淚鈥檝e always liked taking care of people. I鈥檝e babysat since I was 14, and I have a real heart for babies and kids. I know I want to take care of kids, and my sister makes nursing sound amazing,鈥� Kadie said.
Nursing was an easy choice for Tyler because his mom, brother, sister and sister-in-law are all nurses.
鈥淵ou can do it anywhere, and there鈥檚 always opportunity. I need flexibility and want to see something new every single day,鈥� Tyler said.
One might think evenings at home are full of study sessions around the kitchen table, but in reality, it鈥檚 quite different.
鈥淭hey study in the same room. I can鈥檛 do that. I go to our study room, shut the door and turn on the sound machine,鈥� Kadie said.
鈥淚t does come in handy to have us all around when we need to do check offs. To have three people in the same house, you can do it at any time of the day,鈥� Tyler said.
When they have time for a break, much of their time is spent together as a family. They enjoy relaxing with everyone and often end up watching sports or having game nights.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 not studying, then I鈥檓 finally getting to catch up on my siblings鈥� lives. I take as much time as I can to decompress and don鈥檛 try to fill up my schedule with other things,鈥� Kadie said.
Going through the nursing program together, often side by side at the front of the classroom, has certainly been unique for all three students. It has sometimes been harder than expected, and the long classes and the development of technology have been an added adjustment for Craig. However, it has been a smooth one with the help of his daughter and son-in-law, who both consider him a sponge of information.
鈥淚 already knew Mr. Craig was smart, but he is insanely smart. He can look at the screen and soak it all in,鈥� Tyler said.
鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛 coming in beside them, I probably wouldn鈥檛 have done it,鈥� Craig said.
鈥淚t helps us work harder going through it with people that we鈥檙e close to,鈥� Kadie said.
Being a part of the college鈥檚 largest cohort to ever enter the Traditional BSN Pathway may seem daunting to some, but it鈥檚 been a pleasant experience for Kadie, Tyler and Craig. Plus, learning from healthcare professionals at the Gulf Coast region鈥檚 only academic health system is an added bonus.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 been genuinely nice. For them to know our names out of almost 200 people means a lot,鈥� Craig said.
鈥淚 like the connections to all the hospitals, especially Children鈥檚 and Women鈥檚. That鈥檚 somewhere I would like to work in the future,鈥� Kadie said.
When graduation day comes, there is no doubt that Kadie, Tyler, Craig and their whole family will be closer than ever, but their specialties may differ. Kadie hopes to work in pediatric care, and Tyler pictures himself working 鈥渋n the heat of things鈥� in the intensive care unit or emergency room. Craig on the other hand says he鈥檚 not so sure where he wants to end up but that his passion will lead him to the right place.
鈥淲e鈥檒l see. If there鈥檚 no passion with the money then you鈥檙e not going to enjoy it,鈥� Craig said.
The 麻豆直播鈥檚 traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a four-year program designed for students with a high school diploma. Traditionally, the first two years are spent in meeting general university requirements with courses in science, math, arts and humanities, while the last two years are focused on the professional preparation in nursing. The BSN program provides the skills necessary for a rewarding career as a registered nurse. To learn more about the Traditional BSN Pathway, contact the College of Nursing at conbsn@southalabama.edu.