Perseverance and faith: RN to BSN graduate gives back to community that supported her

Some of Briana Nelson’s best moments as a nurse have little to do with physical care. They occur when she asks a patient about their lives, their families, their beliefs, offering a quiet moment of humanity in an isolating situation. She often feels pride when she can connect them to a resource they didn’t know was an option, helping to redefine a future that seemed frightening. These impactful moments arise when Nelson helps her patients feel a sense of connection—of community. 

“People want to know that you care for them and you love them; I want to approach everyone in that manner, so that they know they have at least one person,” she says.

Nelson, who is set to graduate in May from the Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions (SNHP) RN to BSN program, knows all too well how powerful community can be. As a child in Philadelphia living in a difficult and, at times, abusive environment, it was her community that offered strength and support. When she moved to South Jersey on her own at the age of 18, community was the first thing she sought. 

She found it at Christ Baptist Church in Burlington, NJ, where she was able to combine her deep-rooted sense of faith with her dedication to serving others. An active member of her congregation, she co-chairs the church’s adult youth group, mentoring younger members and leading volunteer engagement. She also serves on the Health Care Team, where she visits sick and elderly members, conducts first aid in case of emergencies during services or events, and helps connect members to health resources. 

“I struggled day to day to find my new sense of community,” she says. “Ministry and church, all the community I have there; they are my self-care…they make me feel renewed.” 

Nelson knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse, but her path to a BSN wasn’t as direct as she initially anticipated. Her first year as a nursing student at Neumann University coincided with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nelson was eager for interaction and hands-on learning, and being stuck learning behind computer screens in isolated rooms convinced her that the pandemic-era college experience wasn’t for her. 

She switched to a year-long LPN certificate program at Lincoln Tech so that she could enter the field sooner, and she began working in home care as soon as she graduated from the program. She worked full-time while continuing her education at a relentless pace; she earned an associate’s at Thomas Edison State University, then an RN diploma and second associate’s from Capital Health School of Nursing; in a few weeks, she’ll earn her BSN from Rowan, which she’s pursued while working in the Med-Surg unit at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. 

Rowan provided an opportunity to combine her commitment to her church community with her passion for providing care. She soon found a mentor in Gina Galosi, associate teaching professor at SNHP, who helped Nelson put words to a concept to which she’d been naturally drawn her whole life: community-based nursing. Supported by Galosi and fellow nursing students who also understood the importance of showing up for others, Nelson began organizing community health events. As part of American Heart Month and Black History Month, she even connected Rowan with her church health ministry to offer blood pressure screenings and cardiovascular education.

“Briana consistently goes above and beyond as a nurse, a student, and a colleague to her fellow classmates,” says Galosi. “She has been a wonderful student, and I look forward to following her academic and professional career for all of the wonderful things she will accomplish.”

Having worked and studied full-time for the past five years, Nelson shows no signs of slowing down. She hopes to continue her education at SNHP in the MSN Nurse Practitioner program this fall. But even with what she’s accomplished so far, she has become more than her younger self ever thought possible, she says.

“This journey began with a young girl in Philadelphia trying to defy the odds. I’m proud to show my siblings—not only my siblings, but my community—that we are more than our circumstances, and we can do more than the hand we’re dealt.”

Every spring, Rowan University highlights one graduating student from each school and college. Read more stories about this year’s featured graduates.