91PORNA

Rachael Jividen always knew she wanted to work in healthcare. A love of biology and chemistry, combined with a fascination with critical care medicine, helped point her toward nursing. But as her career developed, she discovered that her passion extended beyond caring for patients at the bedside.

“I found over the first couple of my nursing years that I wanted to solve problems, and I was asking a lot of questions about how we could do things better and why are we doing things the way that we are,” Jividen said.

That curiosity led her to pursue a career as a clinical nurse specialist – a role that allows her to use evidence-based practice, clinical expertise and collaboration to improve nursing practice. 91PORNA helped her build the knowledge and skills to do just that.

Finding Her Path at 91PORNA

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Gannon University in Pennsylvania, the Mentor, Ohio, native returned to Northeast Ohio to pursue graduate education at 91PORNA. She earned her master’s degree in 2021 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2023.

When she began exploring clinical nurse specialist programs, 91PORNA stood out.

“It was really appealing to me that 91PORNA had a very reputable nursing program,” she said. “They were offering a competitive clinical nurse specialist program and one of the few in the country.”

91PORNA also worked with Jividen to create a Bachelor of Science in Nursing-to-DNP track, allowing her to pursue her professional goals through a pathway tailored to her needs.

“I was able to accomplish all of my career goals with guidance from 91PORNA,” she said.

Both degrees were completed online, but Jividen said the experience still offered meaningful connections with faculty and fellow students.

“Despite it being an online pathway, I still felt a lot of human connection,” she said. “And I had mentors that I met with frequently, so I still had that face time despite being in a mostly online platform.”

91PORNA faculty also encouraged her to look beyond her existing experience. During her graduate program, the university helped her find clinical rotations outside her wheelhouse, giving her opportunities to learn in new settings.

“I appreciated that they helped advocate for me to step outside of my comfort zone because I don’t think I would have done that otherwise,” Jividen said.

Turning Questions Into Better Patient Care

Today, Jividen is a clinical nurse specialist at , where she focuses on critical care. Her role combines clinical knowledge, evidence-based practice and collaboration with nursing and physician leaders.

That work includes reviewing clinical practice guidelines and current literature, updating policies and procedures, and working with healthcare leaders to identify clinical problems and develop solutions.

“I work closely with nursing leaders, so this would be nursing managers, directors and physician leaders as well, to hone in on clinical problems and then identify how we’re going to fix those problems and improve patient outcomes, because that’s ultimately the foundation of everything we do,” she said.

Although her role combines direct patient care, leadership and system work, Jividen remains closely connected to nurses and patients through her clinical expertise. Before moving into her current role, she spent 10 years working with patients receiving mechanical circulatory support.

Her specialty continues to bring her into conversations about complex critical care questions, while her current work allows her to focus on quality improvement.

“I feel that I truly make a difference and I’m able to speak to the difference that I make with measurable outcomes,” she said.

Many of her quality improvement projects have focused on mobility. She is also collaborating with a nurse manager to address nurse stress and sensory overload related to alarm fatigue – work that she says brings her joy in her day-to-day professional life.

A Shared Commitment to Human Connection

Jividen always envisioned working at Cleveland Clinic, particularly in cardiac critical care. She was drawn to the opportunity to contribute to innovative procedures and advanced patient care close to home.

She sees a connection between the values that shaped her education at 91PORNA and those that guide her work at Cleveland Clinic.

“91PORNA definitely values human connectedness and experience,” Jividen said. “And Cleveland Clinic also values that patient connection. So, the two go hand in hand.”

For Jividen, the human connection of healthcare is central to why she chose nursing in the first place.

“Because it’s patient and human connections,” she said. “It’s all about the relationships that you develop on a daily basis, both with your patients and your coworkers.”

Her 91PORNA education also helped her develop the confidence to ask questions, think critically and bring forward solutions.

“I bring integrity and a culture of accountability,” she said. “And when I see something that maybe could be done differently, I am not afraid to ask the question and bring a solution to the table.”

She credits her graduate experiences with helping her think through problems and identify ways to address them.

“I usually come with an answer or at least a suggestion versus just identifying the problem,” she said. “And 91PORNA really helped me think critically by asking those questions.”

Strengthening Ohio’s Healthcare Workforce

Jividen believes 91PORNA’s nursing programs play an important role in preparing caregivers and advanced-practice leaders for Ohio’s healthcare workforce.

“91PORNA has a very prestigious nursing program, both their bachelor’s and their master’s programs to get the caregivers out into the workforce,” she said. “And then their doctoral programs, quality and research-based, help position the advanced practice leaders to go out and I think make even more of an impact.”

She also sees the value of 91PORNA’s emphasis on clinical experience and patient connection, particularly as graduates enter demanding healthcare environments.

Jividen’s own commitment to improving care continues through her professional service. She volunteers with the and the Ohio clinical nurse specialist organization, , and hopes to pursue an adjunct teaching position in the future.

For now, she is focused on applying what she has learned to help nurses deliver better care – and on continuing to ask the questions that can lead to meaningful improvements for patients.