Scholarship support lifts burden for injured nursing student

As Jordan Keener was wrapping up her senior year at the West Virginia University School of Nursing, an unfortunate accident occurred on a cold winter day.

“In mid-January, the weekend of MLK Day, I was walking down hill and I fell on a patch of ice,” Keener shared. “I knew something was wrong, and we called the ambulance.”

When she was examined, she learned she had torn her AC joint in her shoulder and broken two vertebrae at the base of her neck. Keener had to wear a neck brace for four weeks, after which she was cleared for surgery. She spent the next eight weeks in a sling, and the following weeks in physical therapy.

Keener said having to drop out of her classes was frustrating at first, but after meeting with the School of Nursing leadership to discuss her options, they collectively decided it was the safest option for both her and her patients to make sure no one was being put at risk.

“We decided it was in the best interest of me and my patients to be fully healed,” Keener said. “I understand, but it was really hard being so close to graduation.”

She made the most of her final semester with her friends, taking the time she needed to focus on her mental and physical recovery. She also learned from Associate Dean of Academics Tanya Rogers that the WVU School of Nursing would be awarding her a scholarship so she could continue the program throughout the summer without an additional financial burden.

“I didn’t know how much summer school was going to be. When I talked about it with my parents, we had only budgeted for four years. With some grant assistance, then that scholarship, it took a huge burden off me so I could focus on my recovery. The scholarship was an immediate relief for me. I was not expecting it at all.”

She said she felt supported throughout the ordeal — from her roommates who helped nurse her back to health and from nursing faculty members who reached out to check on her, even after she’d dropped classes.

Keener, a Charleston native, always knew she wanted to have a career in medicine. As she was deciding which route to take, she spoke with her mom’s friend, who happened to be a WVU School of Nursing alum. She shared with Keener all the opportunities with a career in nursing, including her own path as an anesthesiologist. That conversation, paired with seeing how hospice nurses interacted with and cared for one of her grandparents, solidified her decision.

“I felt nursing was perfect for me,” she said.

Keener is excited to be back on track toward completing her program. She walked during the May 2022 Commencement ceremony, and she’s set to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in August after being cleared for clinicals.

“Scholarship contributors don’t understand how much their support affected me — it completely changed my summer and my experience here. It’s really generous and a really honorable thing to do. It’s something I plan to do as well.”

After August, Kenner plans to apply for a position as an emergency room nurse or as a labor and delivery nurse in the D.C. area.

To learn more about giving, contact Tiffany Samuels at tsamuels@wvuf.org.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu