Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Gold
Hi Jordan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a native Austinite and Nurse Practitioner who has been practicing for 10 years. I graduated with a bachelors degree in human development and master’s degree in nursing from The University of Texas at Austin and completed a post master’s certification program at The University of Texas at Arlington to become a Nurse Practitioner.
I started my nursing career in labor and delivery where I worked for two years and gained valuable experience in women’s health. After labor and delivery, I worked as a perioperative nurse in a surgery center that focused primarily on cosmetic plastic surgery. At the surgery center I also had the opportunity to function as a surgical scrub nurse where I assisted plastic surgeons in the operating room. Working with over 20 plastic surgeons in the Austin area gave me extensive experience in aesthetics. I then transitioned to the medspa setting where I have performed cosmetic injections and medspa treatments for the past 6 years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road that led me to where I am today was far from a smooth one. After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I planned to apply for the alternate entry masters in nursing program at UT but found out I was pregnant with my son. I wasn’t sure what to expect with pregnancy and being a new mom, so I decided to put my dreams of becoming a nurse on hold and try an alternative teaching certification program to become an elementary school teacher. After passing the certification exam I applied to almost every school in the Austin area with no success. Even teaching assistant positions weren’t calling me back. At that point I was about 6 months pregnant, and if I did get an interview, the chances were pretty low that anyone would hire the pregnant girl. I ended up giving up on the teaching idea and was able to stay at home with my son for 2 years. My dream to become a nurse was still very much alive, so I completed my nursing prerequisites and applied to the program I initially set out to get into and was accepted into that program to start in the summer of 2013.
My original goal in my nursing journey was to become a certified nurse midwife after my birthing experience at Austin Area Birthing Center. I gave birth to my son naturally, surrounded by the most supportive women, and the whole experience was so empowering. I became very passionate about natural birth and wanted to be able to help other women experience what I did in my own birth story.
After a year of accelerated nursing courses, I passed my nursing boards and got hired as a labor and delivery nurse, but still had to complete the masters portion of the program. At this time, I was also going through a divorce. I was working full time at the hospital, in school full time, a newly single parent going through a divorce. Ultimately, my son was who motivated me to push through the early mornings, late nights, papers, projects, and I ended up graduating from that program with honors.
Being a single mom made me rethink my goal to become a certified nurse midwife due to unexpected working hours, but I still had the desire to become an advanced practice nurse. While in labor and delivery I became very interesting in becoming a nurse anesthetist, but at the time there weren’t any programs in Austin or any online programs, so that was no longer an option.
About a year after I started working at the surgery center, I started to become interested in aesthetics and becoming a nurse injector. While I did not need an advanced practice degree to achieve this goal, it made me more marketable in the industry because NPs can diagnose and prescribe treatments and RNs cannot. At this point I decided to go back to school and get my post masters certification to be a family nurse practitioner. Again, I was in school full time, working full time, and a single mom.
When it was finally time to take my FNP boards, I was extremely nervous because I already had a job lined up and passing the test was essential to keep it. On the day of my test, I decided to wear one of my son’s shirts under my clothes to remind me of the reason why I was doing this, how far I had come, how hard I had worked, and to keep me calm if I struggled with any questions on the test. After hours of testing I hit “submit.” Luckily my results were given to me same day, and when the proctor handed me that sheet of paper, I have never felt more relief in my life reading “passed.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner at SkinSpirit in Westlake, where I specialize in injectables and anti-aging treatments. I like to use a comprehensive treatment approach, combining injectables, skin care treatments and pharmaceutical grade skincare to achieve the best result for my patients. I love medical aesthetics because I am able to combine art and science to help my patients achieve natural looking results and more confidence in their appearance.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Outside of work I enjoy going to the lake, traveling, trying new restaurants in town, watching Texas football, and being my 13 year old son’s biggest fan.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @aesthetic.fnp
Image Credits
Terrah Holder @tjcreativeagency
