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Long before she stepped onto Galen College of Nursing’s Orlando campus, J’Nya Henley saw what compassionate care looks like.

She learned it from her mother, Dr. Keyma Sobratti, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, a long-time nurse educator and currently the Director of Clinical Education at Galen’s Orlando campus.

Now, Henley is following in her mother’s footsteps, attending Galen to pursue her associates degree in nursing (ADN) and become a competent, confident, and compassionate nurse.

Henley was inspired by her mother to pursue a career in healthcare after graduating from high school, but she wasn’t sure exactly where she fit. She started taking courses to become a sonographer, before Sobratti started her job at Galen.

It only took one visit to Galen’s Orlando campus to open Henley’s mind to the possibilities of becoming a nurse.

“She wanted me to just come tour the campus, get a feel for it, see if I would like it better,” Henley said. “And one day I went to go tour the campus, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I just felt it in my heart, like, I’m supposed to become a nurse.”

For Henley, choosing nursing wasn’t simply about following her mom or building a career. It was about purpose.

“I feel like we need more compassionate nurses that are going into the field,” Henley said. “I feel like these patients need us to truly be there for them.”

Now midway through her second quarter, she’s beginning to see that compassion in action during clinical experiences, and it’s shaping her own approach to care.

 “I like to have that one-on-one heart connection with another person,
 she said. “I want them to really feel that I feel where they’re coming from.”

Between her heavy workload that often confines her to her office and Galen’s local clinical sites, Sobratti doesn’t always have time to see her daughter on campus. However, even when she does see Henley and the other students, she’s intentional about maintaining the same expectations for everyone.

“It is nice to see her around,” Sobratti said. “But I treat all of (the students) the same, because I want all of them to feel inclusive.”

As Sobratti lends a helping hand to all students, she recently provided words of encouragement to her daughter as well.

During one of her first “check-off” exams, Henley said she felt too overwhelmed to continue and had to step out of the classroom.

“I ran into her classroom and I was just crying,” Henley recalled. “She calmed me down and reassured me that I’m going to be fine, and to take it one day at a time. That really helped me. I know I have someone that I can lean on, and better yet, someone that understands where I’m coming from as a nursing student.”

Henley was able to return to her class, complete her check off, and she’s continued to grow through the standard challenges of nursing school.

Following in her mother’s footsteps doesn’t mean walking the exact same path.

As Henley advances through nursing school, she’s learning how to carry forward what she’s been taught while creating her own approach.

“Sometimes I do have to remind myself that you’re not going to do everything as perfect as your mother, and sometimes she has to remind me of that, too,” Henley said. “At the end of the day, it’s my own journey, and I’m going to take the steps that I have to take for whatever works for me to get to where I need to be. I do have to remind myself of that sometimes. I’m not in my mother’s shadow.”

These reminders keep Henley and Sobratti focused on the final outcome, which is graduation and becoming a registered nurse. Sobratti recalled that many people asked her if she was proud of her daughter for starting nursing school. Her response?

“Absolutely, I’m proud of her,” Sobratti said. “But I’m going to be more proud, and I’m going to be a proud mom when I see her cross that stage. Until then, I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about her passing her classes.”

If you’re inspired by Keyma and J’Nya’s story, Galen College of Nursing can help you become a nurse and follow your calling. Consider any of our pre-licensure programs, including our practical nursing/vocational nursing diploma, our ADN, and our three-year bachelor of science in nursing.