BSC Alum Elected President of Virginia Board of Nursing
His journey to become a patient advocate began in Bluefield. “After graduating from Bluefield High (in 2003), I knew I wanted to be a nurse,” he recalled. “My mom (Jeanneine, a BSC Nursing graduate) was a critical care nurse and manager at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. She instilled in me an appreciation for what it means to be a nurse—the privilege of caring for others.”
Jones received an Associate Degree in Nursing from Bluefield State, then began working in the BRMC Intensive Care Unit, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Nursing degree while he worked. “I received a very patient-centered nursing education at Bluefield State,” he said. “The BSC nursing faculty brought everything back to the patient.”
After three years at BRMC, Jones accepted a position at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department, soon taking on a leadership role as a clinical team leader, and in 2011 becoming a Unit Director. “Our vision was to become more patient-centered, which helped to transform the culture of the Emergency Department,” he continued.
Four years ago, Jones moved into a fulltime patience experience role, broadening his focus from a unit level, to all of the Carilion Clinic system. His work is focused on promoting and advocating for patient-centered care. He also works to center nurses, doctors, and all caregivers on their purpose and reduce patient and caregiver suffering. Along the way, he’s received numerous awards for his work and has presented patient experience programs at Carilion and throughout the nation, addressing purpose-driven healthcare and purpose-driven nursing.
“My goal is to help nurses and health care reconnect to our purpose of caring for patients” Jones explained,” he said. “This builds resiliency in the nursing community because nurses can see the fruit of their work, which is absolutely the most satisfying part of the job.”
