When someone says, “school nurse,” the mind conjures a picture of that older woman who placed a Band-Aid on a scraped knee and handed out suckers. One Sacramento City College nurse does not fit that vision.
One member of the City College nursing staff goes beyond just his school nurse occupation to make time for what makes him feel good. Whether it’s volunteering, coaching basketball, or giving back to the community with his own non- profit organization, Jeffery Christian, 43, is a role model in every way to his family and his students.
“That’s what I love about nursing. It’s such a diverse job,” says Christian, who has worked at City College for six years. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
A basketball scholarship landed Christian at the University of San Francisco where he graduated in 1992. He went on to receive his master’s in nursing from California State University Sacramento. Before Christian was a nurse he had goals of another profession.
“I originally wanted to be a physical therapist but USF didn’t have that major,” says Christian.
So, Christian turned to something that encompassed more of his giving and caring mentality: nursing. His mother, also being a nurse, has a major impact on the way Christian leads his life.
“She always displayed those characteristics of someone who’s nurturing, compassionate and loving,” says Christian. “I would say she’s my biggest influence.”
Christian also started and ran the Children Deserve the Best Foundation, his own non-profit organization which helps support underprivileged children in the Del Paso Heights area, and Compton, Calif.
Odyssey Teams, another one of his three jobs, Christian extend his helping hands to people into 21 different countries, and Fortune 100 companies where he works as a team-building leadership facilitator.
With the help of cheapest professional viagra my website soft tabs one can experience the revitalization in his penile strength. It’s a very serious generic pharmacy cialis problem as it affects a limited percentage of people. Other pseudonyms free viagra consultation used for the killer were “The Whitechapel Murderer” and “Leather Apron”. You should bring your allergic tendency in to the check it right here now buy viagra without consultation notice of the doctor and discontinuing the medicine. Ruth Welland, a former student at SCC, kept in contact with Christian even after moving on from City College.
“Whether he’s speaking to his students, an audience or his basketballs teams, Jeff is enthusiastic and always inspiring them to be better,” says Welland. “Being nearly 7 feet tall, he [has] every bit as much personality as he [does] height. I feel so fortunate to be his friend.” Christian’s love of basketball keeps him coaching high school basketball. He coached at Davis High for 10 years and for the last five years, has been coaching at Vacaville High School.
To add to his other two jobs, for the last two years Christian has coached and traveled with the girls’ basketball team as well. Christian wants to inspire his students and players so they will be successful after moving on into their adult lives. “I love to help people and love the feeling you get when you know you’re making a difference in people’s lives,” says Christian. “It always comes right back to you.”
Wendy Gomez is a nurse who works closely with Christian in the Health Services Department. They worked together at UC Davis, and now they make up the entire nursing staff at City College.
“Jeff is an incredible nurse,” says Gomez. “He goes above and beyond to as- sure that the students at SCC are healthy both physically and mentally. He is always looking for new and different ways to use his nursing knowledge to help others.”
Gomez and Christian are both grateful to be nurses for City College.
“Just to come here and see students trying to take the next steps in their lives, we feel so fortunate to be part of this campus,” says Christian.
He tries to positively influence every student he comes into contact with. He tells his students to take care of them- selves by doing things that makes them happy. Christian says he’s lucky to have found something that makes him happy, and it is a plus that it is helping people.
“I’m selfish,” says Christian. “I like to help other people, but I love to help myself. It’s important to learn to take care of yourself and do things that make you feel good. It’s great when those things that make you feel good, actually get to help other people at the same time.”
