When Debra Sims went to college at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, she thought she would become an accountant. Her part-time job was in the accounts payable department of a business in downtown Dallas, and she had grown up thinking about becoming an attorney. However, life changed quickly when Debra’s parents passed away in a car accident when she was 21 years old. “I have a younger brother and sister, and I wanted to crumple, but I learned to live with that heavy heart,” she says.
Debra took some time off from college to figure things out. When she eventually decided to go back to college, she went to Baylor University. Still in her early 20s, she had some professional experience working at Mobil Corp., but she wanted a fresh start. Nursing came to mind. “I felt like nursing was a very mobile career,” Debra says. “Nursing can get you in any door in any country because it’s such a necessary thing.” She worked hard and graduated with a in 1997.
Clinical Experience in the Hospital
For five years, Debra worked in a hospital, gaining clinical experience in medical-surgical, oncology, pediatric oncology, and on the liver/kidney transplant unit. She briefly started a nurse practitioner program but decided in 2002 to enlist in the United States Air Force instead.
“I wanted to gain a competitive edge in my career so that I could move into management, and I felt the military would give me that experience,” Debra says. She started as a critical care nurse at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and moved to the Spangdahlem Air Force Base in Germany in 2004 as a family practice clinical nurse. Eventually, Debra decided to earn a Master of Human Relations at Oklahoma University, which the military offered abroad while she was deployed in Germany.
Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of a Medical Squadron
Debra says that the military has challenged her in the best of ways. “I’ve been pushed outside of my comfort zone,” she says. “I’ve worked in women’s health, the intensive care unit, as a flight nurse instructor, and in patient safety and quality improvement. I’ve been deployed 13 times—five that were major and eight that were minor deployments of less than four months.”
Through the years, Debra moved up the ranks and has been a lieutenant colonel since 2018. She also moved into nurse leadership, serving as chief of clinical operations and chief of medical division operations at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, and as chief nurse at the Kunsan Air Base in Korea. In 2020, she became the chief of division education and training at Lackland Air Force Base in her home state of Texas. And in early 2022, she became the commander of the 422nd Medical Squadron at Royal Air Force Croughton in the United Kingdom.
Furthering Her Education With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Although Debra did not intend to go back to school again, her promotion to commander in 2022 sparked a change of heart. “I thought, ‘I need to be current on the research and keep up with knowledgeable nurse leaders,’” she says. “So much has changed since I became a nurse, and I wanted to better myself and go back to school.” She researched online universities and discovered American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University. The university’s military benefits and the flexibility of 100% online learning appealed to her. She chose the “I think case management is a strong foundation that helps me understand how to care for the patient holistically.”
After getting settled in the U.K., Debra enrolled in her first class at Post in August 2022. “I did the MSN in England, but I never felt alone,” she says. “American Sentinel is top of the line in terms of adult learning. The school understands how adult students think and that we have so much going on in our lives personally and professionally.”
Now a Doctor of Nursing Practice Student
Debra finished the specialization in May 2024 and decided to strive for yet another educational accomplishment: a doctoral degree. She will start the Specialization in October 2024. “I’m approaching the next tier in the military, but feel I want to approach the next tier in nursing as well,” she says. “I plan to continue working in nursing when I retire from the military. I’d love to teach as an adjunct professor, but no matter what I do, having a doctorate will help me.”
Returning to Post University was an easy decision, Debra adds. “I would not have the level of confidence I do if not for Post and my amazing student success advisor and professors,” she says. “They gave me great advice, forced me to slow down when I needed to, and have supported me along the way. I’m excited to be back.”