Hailey Whisenant was born in 1994 in Biloxi, Mississippi to an Air Force family, strong willed and ready to tackle the world. Being a military dependent, she relocated and resided with her parents and old-er brother to Eagle River Alaska where she lived from age seven to thirteen. Upon her father’s military retirement, the family settled in Southeast Georgia where Hailey finished middle school and graduated high school with Honors. Sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hailey competed in her high school scholarship program with aspirations of a career in the pediatric healthcare field.
Although Hailey had a passion for children and knew she wanted to pursue a career in pediatrics, it was the birth of her son at age 19 that confirmed the dream. She fell in love with the pregnancy, the delivery process, infant care, and postpartum care. It was then she decided to work with other pregnant women, delivering their children. Originally her plan was to quit college and join the Navy, but shortly after receiving her ASVAB results, she discovered she was pregnant. That news hindered her Navy plans. “It was then I knew God had other plans for me,” she said.
Continuing at the local college, Hailey took all her prerequisites during her pregnancy and got into nursing school when her newborn son was a little over three months old. Hailey says her son was her motivation for everything. She wanted to be able to provide for him without struggling.
Although juggling life with a new baby, working two jobs and attending nursing school, Hailey managed to make the Dean’s list after her first year graduated when her son was just under four years old, and was chosen to sing the national anthem at the award ceremony for her class. During her freshman year she was offered a job at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida where she worked in Neuroscience for two years while attending nursing school and after graduating.
Now at 25 years old, Hailey holds a bachelor’s degree as a Registered Nurse and is a single mother of two children ages five and 18 months. She has achieved her goal and works with women as well as children from first day of life to age 18. Hailey considers herself to be a caring, trustworthy, motivating person, quick on her feet and able to sustain stressful environments. She uses these characteristics everyday in her work routine.
Once at work, Hailey gets her patient assignments, which consists of about six patients under her care typically three mothers and three infants. Throughout her shift Hailey makes her rounds, administers any medications, monitors patients to prevent hemorrhages, gives vaccines to both mothers and infants, assists doctors with deliveries, performs circumcisions, and provides compassionate, quality care to her patients.
In her off time, Hailey enjoys going to the gym on a regular basis to relieve stress, and loves spending time with her children, especially near the water. Whether it is playing on the beach, riding in a boat, swimming or even fishing, Hailey appreciates the water and outdoors (just no bugs, please!). Living near the beach makes this time very accessible and convenient for her busy schedule. Time off is also spent doing mounds of homework as she is over half way towards achieving her master’s degree.
As you can clearly see, Hailey is passionate about many things but especially her love of infants and witnessing new life. She has a genuine love for her patients and relishes the moments when the proud families are excited to not be pregnant anymore and get to take their new bundles of joy to their new homes and cuddle. Hailey says sometimes she gets to cuddle the babies as well and that is her favorite part. “I am reminded about the good in the world and the joy infants bring to my day,” she says.
If you haven’t guessed yet, Hailey is more than a nurse. She continually gives back. Offering her patients a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold or even a hug, Hailey considers herself an advocate for her patients and is often spotted providing them with resources such as shelters, infancy items, WIC in-formation and the like.
Hailey is different from other nurses. Because she is a specialized nurse, she is required to have different training than most nurses. In addition to her master’s degree classes, Hailey continues to take education classes on infants, and must be readily available during a delivery in case an emergency need arises during a birth. A few of the classes she has completed and is certified in are NRP (Neonatal Re-suscitation Practice) CPR, and STABLE (Sugar, Temperature, Airway, Breathing, Labs, Emotional Support).
As mentioned previously, Hailey was born ready to tackle the world and has been making a difference in people’s lives every day since then, and she’s not anywhere near finished. In addition to being an amazing mother raising two, polite, well-behaved, beautiful children, Hailey is a student and plans to continue her education until she holds the title of Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
But what keeps this young woman motivated and going besides the drive and passion she was born with? Her children. Because she gets up every morning at 5 am and starts her day for them, she can continually be a blessing, and share that passion and motivation with others.