The Fuld Leadership Program
Fuld Fellowships
Jordan Bell Simcox
Biographical Sketch
Presidential Inspiration (Jordan Bell quoted)
Fuld Fellows, Emory Magazine
Making Bigger Beds, Nursing Magazine
Spring Break Alternatives, Nursing Magazine
Biographical Sketch
Jordan Bell Simcox
Jordan Bell Simcox was born in Atlanta. She describes herself as one who “tends to see possibilities.” During her undergraduate years at Emory she was involved in community service work with Project Open Hand and the International Rescue Committee. These experiences allowed her to recognize the integrity of diverse cultures, religions, and worldviews. After graduating from Emory, she traveled to Nepal, Kurdistan and Macedonia. Working with a small grassroots organization in rural villages in Nepal, she began to feel a commitment to seek out steps to alleviate suffering and ways to promote access to healthcare. The experience of being in the midst of conflict in Kurdistan and Macedonia and working with women, children and teens in refugee camps had a tremendous impact on her worldview. She describes this time as an awakening. She was inspired by seeing that those in the midst of war (and its aftermath) still had hope and were willing to embrace their lives throughout times of tremendous change. Although a difficult time for her, she carried from these experiences a sense of “love” and “enormous possibility” for the future. After returning to Atlanta, she decided to pursue a nursing degree because all the pieces added up; the need for social activism, a desire to help vulnerable populations, and an interest in international health. Jordan is currently working with refugees and persons who are homeless. Upon graduation she intends to work as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Since coming to the School of Nursing Jordan has assumed significant leadership roles and continues to demonstrate sustained commitment to underserved populations. She serves as a partner/ advocate with the International Rescue Committee working with Afghan and Iraqi families. She has played an integral role in the Farm Worker Family Health Program offering extensive health care services to migrant farm workers and migrant children in South Georgia. She is a volunteer RN with St. Joseph’s Mercy Care and has served as an intern with the Global Nursing Partnerships that focus on alleviating nursing work force shortages internationally. During her spring break 2004 Jordan worked with nurses in Jamaica’s public health hospital providing care to persons with mental illness. Jordan has a generosity of spirit and friendships that stretch from the inner city Atlanta to Macedonia and far-flung place in between.
Observations from Jordan during the MSN program
Based on the principles of the Fuld Fellowship of leadership and social responsibility, I have had several experiences that have influenced my interest in primary care, community health, and underserved populations over the past year. I have been working to complete a MSN degree in the family nurse practitioner program and focusing on access to care issues and programs for refugee/immigrant populations. I have found that the most stimulating learning experiences for an NP student come from clinical settings that challenge you to consider flexibility, community-centered care, and leadership. The most important lessons that I have learned as a nurse practitioner student have been to become an advocate for my patients and their families and to create an environment for health education. Most recently, I have been able to take on more of a leadership role within the Farm Worker Family Health Program during the summer clinical experience and through a directed study. This opportunity also allowed me to be creative in planning and utilizing both nursing and public health skills. My involvement with the Farm Worker Family Health Program encouraged me to collaborate with other Fuld Fellows to publish an article in NP World News and to submit and article to Public Health Nursing. I have also had valuable clinical experiences at the Mercy Care Clinic Downtown (St. Joseph’s Health System) as an RN volunteer and as a nurse practitioner student. All of these experiences have added to my personal and professional growth. I truly appreciate the chance to work with the other Fuld Fellows, to have Ann Connor as our mentor, and support from the Fuld Foundation. Thank you to the Fuld Fellows and Ann Connor for their dedication to leadership and social responsibility. Thank you to my husband, my parents and my sisters for their love and kindness. I look forward to remaining involved with the Fuld Fellowship as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a NHWSON/ Fuld Alumni.
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