Episode 006 - Simply Faith: Inspiring Confidence, Perseverance and Resilience in Nursing

Dr. Samantha Faith Calhoun, a nurse with perseverance who is passionate about empowering the next generation of nursing students, shares her inspiring journey from being the first in her family to graduate college to earning her PhD. She offers valuable insights on building confidence and resilience in the face of challenges. Tune in to hear about her dedication to nurturing future nurses and her mission-driven work with Simply Faith Friday and her new book she will be releasing!

PODCAST HOST: Fallon M. Flowers, MSN, BS, RN, WHNP-BC
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Grab your VIRTUAL REMOTE and tune in where you like to watch📱💻and listen🎧: https://sociatap.com/NursingInspired/listen-up-future-nurse-podcast
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ABOUT THE GUEST: 
Dr. Samantha Faith Calhoun is a registered nurse and clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Memphis. She is a beacon of compassion, inspiration, resilience, and unwavering determination. With nearly a decade of experience
as a nursing professional, including six years in academic nursing, Samantha's journey has been rewarding, beginning at 22.

Born and raised in Memphis, TN, the first to graduate from college, the first nurse, and Ph.D. in her family, Samantha exemplifies the spirit of breaking barriers and paving the way for others. Her life's mission is to live authentically and to take up space as a quiet giant with the fearlessness to be true to her core values and her calling to care for others. 

Challenges and self-discovery marked Samantha's path to earning her Ph.D., which was not an uncommon theme in her overall academic journey. Samantha reflected on valuable
lessons from a pivotal moment when she withdrew from her nursing school program during the second semester due to the challenges of the rigorous course load. In those tough moments, the compassion of her academic dean intervened, seeing potential in Samantha that she didn't believe in at the time. She not only persevered through nursing school but faced the additional challenge of failing her boards after graduating, only to rise again with faith and clarity regarding her purpose as a nurse educator. Samantha feels blessed to enter students' lives precisely when they need someone to understand and guide them through self-doubt.

In addition to her academic and professional achievements, Samantha's commitment to making a difference extends beyond the classroom. Her dissertation research was inspired
by the struggles of Black men in her family and her patients with hypertension. Her study examined Black men's shared decision-making preferences in the U.S. Mid-South region.
Furthermore, Samantha and her husband, Jeremy Calhoun, passionately serve the MidSouth through their non-profit, STS Enterprise, and Simply Faith, a women's faith coaching
ministry.

As Samantha continues her journey, she hopes to inspire those around her and be a vessel for positive change, whether as a nurse scientist, leader, educator or simply as a compassionate human being. Samantha's self-published book, titled "Simply Faith, A
Brown Girl's Book of Encouragement for Nursing School: I Already Quit So You Don't Have To," is set to be released in 2025. Samantha hopes to inspire others to live authentically, believe in themselves, and use their gifts to make a difference. 

Connect with Dr. Samantha Calhoun on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-calhoun-phd-rn-931b4170/ 
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