pursuing the ministry to entering the nursing profession wasn ’ t too difficult . Then he discovered NSNA .
At the Ben & Ollie School of Nursing , students are automatically enrolled in NSNA when they matriculate , so students might hold a membership without knowing all the opportunities available at the state and national levels . Brady started with the local level , serving as president of Shorter University ’ s chapter of NSNA . However , he also recognized the potential for involvement at multiple levels and decided to run for a state office , serving as the Director of Public Relations for the Georgia Association of Nursing Students , or GANS for short .
During his time in leadership , he has thrown himself into serving the state association . In state president Katie Poupard ’ s words , “ Brady has found several additions to our board , he has taken on several roles outside of his job description , and has gone above and beyond in his job description as well .” This commitment to the organization came during a time when fewer people were interested in running for board positions within GANS .
Despite his extensive roles in NSNA leadership , Brady also enjoys the legislative side of NSNA . At the 70th annual meeting this past April , Brady presented GANS ’ resolution to the delegates gathered in Salt Lake City , Utah . The resolution , titled “ In Support of NSNA Advocating for Increasing the Awareness of the Need for U . S . Airlines to Include Epinephrine Auto-Injectors with Airline Medical Kits ,” detailed the lack of epi-pens available on airlines and called for NSNA to take an active role in alerting the public and advocating for change .
Even the busiest nursing student has to find ways to unwind . In his free time , Brady enjoys playing tennis , doing things outdoors , and enjoying time with friends and family . Outside of NSNA and the university , he also helps lead worship and the college ministry at his local church .
This past summer , Brady honed his leadership abilities further by leading a sixteen-person team of orientation staffers at his university . His team welcomed all the incoming students , encouraging them as they embarked on a new educational chapter in their life . He particularly enjoyed engaging with pre-nursing students and answering their questions about the profession . Over the summer , Brady also began a nurse extern job on a local med-surg unit where he will work throughout the coming year .
As he begins his senior year , Brady is looking forward to his future plans . This includes marrying his fiancé , the best friend who originally encouraged him to pursue nursing , and working on either a med-surg floor or cardiac unit after graduation . And , NSNA will remain a part of his career as he begins his term as the newly elected president of GANS this fall . In this role , Jacobs wants to help GANS attain pre-COVID-19 levels of engagement . This looks like getting more schools involved in NSNA , since he believes finding ways to be involved in nursing school beyond homework is important for Georgia ’ s nursing students .
Whatever the coming year holds , Brady will continue to exhibit leadership as he lives out his calling to serve wherever needed in the nursing profession . •
42 NSNA IMPRINT • NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022 • www . nsna . org