Author Spotlights: Shaletra Jordan & Shanetra Hodge-Hill

Shaletra Jordan and Shanetra Hodge-Hill are doctorally prepared CRNAs whom now live and work in the greater Houston area. They were Critical Care Trauma RNs for eight years and CRNAs for three plus years. Both obtained their Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  During the advancement of their nursing career, they have had several cancer treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As cancer survivors, they are able to help their surgical patients maintain a positive outlook while going through their own cancer treatments. They have also inspired others to never give up on their career goals and dreams despite the challenges in life. During their free time, Shaletra and Shanetra like spending time with their family and travelling.

 

Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Shaletra, Shaletra and Shanetra, Shanetra?

S&S: Shaletra’s swagher comes from her willingness to just enjoy life no matter what. I am the adventurous one.  Even after my motorcycle accident, I took my son to Hawaii and zip lined through the rainforest, as well as took a helicopter tour over the volcanoes.  I live life to the fullest and don’t allow many things to get me down or stress me out.  My drive in life makes my swagher as well, because I don’t like to lose or fail so I continue to push myself no matter what.  Sometimes, I think my wreck allowed me slow down for a minute because I was always on the go.  Shanetra’s swagher is her drive to empower and inspire others despite life’s struggles. I have been through a lot in my life, so I enjoy life to the fullest, because tomorrow is not promised to you. Our swagher is our humbleness and willingness to inspire others to continue to move forward no matter what situations that may arise in their life. Although we have gone through a lot, we continue to remain humble and encourage each other to push through despite life’s obstacles.

Fancy: So what’s it like being twins? You all have gone through so much together.

S&S: It is great being twins. You always have that one person you can trust, and who will always be there whenever you need them.  Being a twin is wonderful, especially when your twin has the same drive and ambition as you.  It has always been a blessing to have someone that will never allow you to settle for less.  We have never been in competition with each other, rather we set goals, and we achieve them together. We have been through a lot together, which has made our faith in God even stronger. It has also helped our bond to grow stronger. During the hard moments, we often remind each other of everything we have overcame, and we don’t look like what we have been through.

Fancy: Now please share a little about your new anthology “Leap of Faith” and what inspired it?

S&S: Our new anthology “Leap of Faith” consist of various stories from different women whom have gone through various struggles in life, such as cancer, rape, molestation, domestic violence, or losing a child, in which we all overcame them to reach our goal. We were inspired to write “Leap of Faith” because we saw various posts on social media sites about people struggling with life’s obstacles, and that they needed to be inspired to continue to push forward. Since we have been through so much, we decided it would be great to share our testimony to inspire and empower others not to give up. Also as anesthesia providers, we encounter various patients who are struggling with their diagnosis and surgical procedures, so we inspire our patients to think positive thoughts and to not give up as well. Everyone knows that life does happen whether it’s good or bad, but you can’t allow that to deter you from going after what you want in life.  Sometimes, you can’t see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, so that’s when you take a leap of faith and trust God that you will land where you’re suppose to land.

Fancy: What was the writing process like?

S&S: Although we both work full time jobs as CRNAs, we made time every day to write.  The writing process flowed naturally because we just told our story and how we overcame life’s obstacles.  We write in our journals daily, so it made the writing process much easier. We also created a timeline, so that we would remain on a consistent schedule of writing.  By the grace of God, all the stories utilized in our book flowed with our book title.

Fancy: Were you all always in agreement on the direction of the book throughout the time?

S&S: Yes we both were in agreement on the direction of the book throughout the writing process. We always listen to each other’s’ ideas.  Since, we pretty much think along the same lines there wasn’t any disagreements throughout this process.  Often times we would say, “Hey, I think it sounds better if you would say this.”

Fancy: What attracted you both to nursing?

S&S: Although our first passion was to go to medical school and become a cardiovascular surgeon and a neurosurgeon. We decided to follow the career path of our older sister, whom was nurse. We have a passion for helping others, which also aided in the decision of staying in the medical field. The nursing field has various career pathways, such as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), nurse practitioner (NP), midwife, forensic, trauma, etc.  Nursing is a field that allows you to meet the needs of others during the most critical times in their lives.  No one wants to be sick or injured, but it is always a blessing to have someone caring for you that can get you through your situation at that moment.  Nursing was meant to be a stepping stone for us, but we know God has other plans for our lives.

Fancy: Just wondering, but have you all ever been really separated?

S&S: We have only been separated for a few months, and that was after Shaletra’s motorcycle accident in 2014. She stayed in Memphis Tennessee to finish her treatment and schooling, while I went back to Houston, Tx to start working as CRNA. We currently live on opposite sides of the city, but we work for the same hospital and talk daily. 

Fancy: So what are your thoughts on the nursing shortage? Is either of you an educator? 

S&S: My thoughts on the nursing shortage is due to being overworked, understaffed, and underpaid because older nurses are retiring, and there is an increased need for medical attention from patients. Educational institutions have also had an effect on nursing shortage. Nursing school remain competitive, which has led to not having enough classes, locations for clinical rotations, and nursing instructors. We are not educators, but due to us being anesthesia providers at a state hospital, we have the opportunity to teach students while in the operating room.  Being an educator is also one of our passions because we want nursing students to be confident with their skills and knowledgeable after graduation. 

Fancy: Where can readers find your book?

S&S: Readers can find our book at www.leapoffaithbook.net , on Amazon, or Kindle.

Fancy: Would you care to share any words of wisdom or encouragement to the future nurses out there? 

S&S: For future nurses, we want to encourage you to not give up. Nursing school is hard and time consuming, but make sure you have a good support system and study every day.  As well as, learn as much as you can during your clinical rotation so that you can gain the skills and knowledge that will be beneficial to you upon entering the nursing field. Always be open to learning new things and dealing with various personalities within the healthcare field, appropriately.  When thinking about an advanced nursing career, work at a hospital where you can gain excellent experience such as a trauma or county hospital so that you can be competent and confident with your skills and knowledgeable. This will also help you to stand out amongst other applicants.

Fancy: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you care to share?

S&S: We have a speaking engagement on June 2, 2018 in Carthage, TX for youth mentor program. We will also be having a book signing in Houston, TX that will be announced soon on eventbrite.

Follow and connect with Shanetra and Shaletra below.

www.leapoffaithbook.net

leapoffaithbook@outlook.com

Facebook and Instagram: @leapoffaithbook

Shanetra’s Facebook and Instagram: Shanetra Hodge-Hill; @shodgehill

Shaletra’s Facebook: Shaletra Hodge Jordan