Rising Stars: Meet Dr. Amelia Kenyon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Amelia Kenyon. 

Hi Dr. Amelia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
It was my dream for over a decade to own my own CNA Training School. I remember sitting at a company meeting a few years ago and someone said, “if you were to go into business for yourself, what would you do,” and without thinking, I said I would open a CNA school. During the lockdowns in 2020, I had time to actually sit and fully research what it would take to do this. I registered the business in August of 2020 and shared with some family and friends what I intended to do. My mother Naomi, who has also been a registered nurse for more than 20 years immediately said she wanted on board. With her help, we found a location, set up the school, and started the application process. We received full approval in February of 2021, and officially opened our school. Since that time, it has really taken off. I am so excited and so proud to be doing this. It is truly a dream realized. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, it was a very smooth road. We had a few very minor issues with the initial approval from the state, which is to be expected when dealing with government agencies, but overall, it was amazingly smooth. We found a great location, and a lot of people were willing to donate equipment to us that they were looking to be relieved of, which was amazing for us! The biggest struggle we had was our initial marketing and getting our name out there, but after we did, things really took off. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been a nurse for more than ten years. I started my career years ago as a CNA and worked my way up through LPN to RN. I hold my Doctor of Nursing Practice from Touro University Nevada. I am the first person in my family to have a doctorate degree. Prior to opening the CNA training center, I taught in higher education as a college professor for several years, and have experience as a nurse educator, and a lot of long-term care experience. As a nurse, I worked in long-term care, hospice, and psych/drug addiction. 

I have a very strong background in curriculum design and development, which really helped out a great deal as we were putting together our program. I tend to think differently when it comes to program development and evidence-based practice, and this really helped the development of our program. Currently, I am working on an online, self-paced 13-hour CEU course specifically designed for CNAs that I hope to launch by the end of the year. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
One of the best ways that people can collaborate with us, is to encourage more people to into long-term care work. It is so very rewarding and can be a really amazing way to connect with people and to serve others. 

We are always looking for partner facilities that wish to sponsor students and allow us the privilege of teaching their new CNAs and allowing them to hire qualified staff and send them out into the workforce. 

One way people can work with us is to come visit us, see what we are about, and send us your referrals. We are also looking to start an in-house scholarship program soon, and we will be able to take donations for those who wish to support the training of future CNAs. 

Pricing:

• 1500- Tuition; this is applicable to both our two week and three-week programs

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.professional-education-services.com
• Instagram: pesnurseaidetraining
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/professionaleducationservices
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoJNXrcgn30x0WhUnZErGiQ

Image Credits
Amelia Kenyon