Always Learning, Always Growing

Jacob Harper has been a member of the Children’s of Alabama team since 1996. Over the years, he has been on a journey of constant learning and professional growth.

Jacob started at Children’s as a Clinical Assistant, working towards his RN license. He originally worked in the adolescent unit, before moving to the pulmonary unit as a Registered Nurse. Every step of his career path has led him to where he is now:

“I really loved being a bedside nurse when I first started. I was given a lot of opportunity to get involved with different educational outlets. I wanted to gain as much information as I could in order to be successful. Through the classes provided by Children’s and the information I learned I was able to start my leadership journey. “

As Jacob learned more, his peers, directors and educators began asking him to teach on other units. They also encouraged him to continue his own education:

“Along with learning through classes provided by Children’s, the educators that worked in my department really pushed me to pursue higher education. This was another step in my journey to leadership and having more of an impact. Today, I have my Master’s degree in Leadership and Management. Once I gained my Master’s I started to look at different opportunities within Children’s.”

Today, Jacob is the Nursing Director for the Behavioral Health Ireland Center. His goal for his staff is to aid them in their journeys of professional growth the same way he has been coached over the years:

“I am a cheerleader for my team. I work to provide and environment that encourages staff to continue learning and growing in their profession.”

At Children’s we strive to provide professional growth opportunities to our staff:

“Our staff at Children’s is very engaged and appreciates feedback. We push our staff to remain engaged, see the big picture, chase challenges and make a difference daily. When our team members play an active role in this pursuit, they truly make an impact in the lives of the children that come to Children’s.”

Jacob’s growth at Children’s is a testament to the opportunities we offer all our employees. Children’s of Alabama is the place to learn, grow and succeed. To learn more about behavioral health at Children’s, as well as opportunities in our other departments, apply here.