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PRAXEDES FOFUNG,

MBA AND BSN GRADUATE

At the age of 25, Praxedes Fofung came to the United States from
her home country of Cameroon, Africa. Though she had planned to
study journalism there, in the U.S., she decided that healthcare was a
growing industry with strong career potential. “I originally moved to New
Jersey, but soon went to Maryland, where I have family,” says Praxedes.
Right away, she enrolled in an associate degree of nursing program at
Prince Georges County Community College. She became a Registered
Nurse in 1999 and started her career in neurology at a hospital in Toronto,
working with patients with stroke symptoms, multiple sclerosis, and
myasthenia gravis, among other medical issues.
Back to the Washington, D.C. area

In 2002, Praxedes and her family returned to Maryland and she joined
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, a not-for-profit, acute-care
teaching and research hospital with 609 beds in northwest Washington,
D.C. She spent eight years in medical-surgical and cardiac nursing before
moving into a clinical consultant position with MedStar Visiting Nurse
Association, which offers nursing, rehabilitation, infusion, and disease
management for chronically ill and disabled patients in their homes.
In 2012, Praxedes received a promotion to clinical consultant manager,
overseeing clinical consultants at four MedStar hospitals. “That’s when I
realized I needed a bachelor’s degree,” she says. “I actually started taking
BSN classes elsewhere, but dropped the program when it didn’t work for
me.” When an old colleague from Georgetown University Hospital referred
her to American Sentinel University, Praxedes liked what she learned.
“American Sentinel made the process smooth and simple, and I didn’t
have to take extra classes I wouldn’t need.” She graduated with the BSN in
2014.

Seeking business education

Earning the BSN helped Praxedes achieve her goals—and it also inspired
her to do more. “I started thinking about my future with my company and
it seemed that business education would open a lot of doors for me,
especially given that I’ve been in a business development area at MedStar
Visiting Nurse Association for many years now.” she says. She looked
at the MBA Healthcare and discovered a curriculum that would help her
improve her skills and enhance her knowledge for her current job. “I love
learning new things and I also know that the business side of healthcare is
so important. Combining my nursing experience with a business education
www.americansentinel.edu

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Transforming Healthcare Through Education |