Meet Dr. Nereida Henderson: Bryan University’s Nursing Assistant Certificate Program Director 

At Bryan University, Dr. Nereida Henderson is using her extensive experience and passion for nursing to teach the next generation of Certified Nursing Assistants in Arizona. Dr. Henderson was instrumental in creating and launching the Nursing Assistant Certificate program within BU’s Skilled Trades Division, which had its first class in September.  

Dr. Henderson started her nursing career over 30 years ago, and she eventually retired as a Director of Nursing. Five years ago, she started teaching, and she felt like there was a lack of foundational nursing education for students, which inspired her to teach CNAs. She believes that CNA courses offer a necessary foundation for all nurses.  

“It gives them a little experience, like a glimpse into the world of healthcare without being a nurse, and without having the responsibility of taking care of patients.” 

Dr. Henderson joined BU in March 2024, and from that time to September, she, along with a dedicated team, developed the program, set up the lab, and received approval from the Arizona State Board of Nursing. That team includes Exec. VP of Learning and Innovation Tammi Cooper, Skilled Trades President Stacey Nottingham, Exec. Dir. of Regulatory Affairs and Workforce Program Academic Engagement Theresa Miulli-Hotham, Skilled Trades Director of Admissions Joshua Esquivel, and Skilled Trades Finance Director Shane Trader. 

A phone call with a nurse is what ultimately led Dr. Henderson to pursue her decades-long career. Her grandmother had started wandering away from home, and the family didn’t realize at the time that she was showing the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Henderson started to research the symptoms, and she got in contact with a nurse who explained the signs and eased the family’s fears which made it possible for them to change the environment to make it safer. 

“It was enough to make me go to nursing school to say, you know what, I want to be just like that nurse,” she said. 

Dr. Henderson is the director of the Nursing Assistant Certificate program and works with professors Stephanie O’Connell, RN, MSED, and Karen Batke, RN, MSN. When the program was built, the goal was to reflect the real-world working environment.

“Nursing is not typically a Monday through Friday job. Nursing is 24 hours. So we reflect that in our course offerings,” she said. 

The four-week program includes lectures or online work for the first half of the six-hour day then a break, and the second half of the day is spent in the lab.

“What’s different about the BU program is that we have our students in the lab on day one,” she said. “We don’t wait two weeks down the line and say, okay, let’s go practice skills. We’re practicing skills every day.” 

The program includes clinical hours that can take place on the weekend and in the evenings. It’s designed in a way to give students options so they can progress through the program in a way that makes the most sense for them. It also includes different teaching styles and formats, so every learner can be successful. 

“It doesn’t matter how the student learns. We cover all of that in our Nursing Assistant Certificate program. So each student is able to get what they need from the course, and be able to be successful and pass that state exam.” 

Dr. Henderson loves that BU is such a collaborative environment. “If I run into a problem, I have many people that I could ask: Can we figure this out?” she said. “I really like that there’s collaboration. It’s a very helpful environment.” 

Nursing Assistant students should expect the unexpected, Dr. Henderson said, because that’s what nursing is. 

“Nursing is all about trying to take care of people and then trying to control what you can’t control,” she said. “Somebody may fall. Somebody may have a heart attack. Somebody may have a stroke, and you still have 10 people. But this one person is having an emergency. You have to try to control that emergency. Do the best you can for that resident while still providing care for the other nine.” 

Dr. Henderson said seeing the passion of the students is what keeps her motivated, whether it’s when they’re enthusiastically playing Jeopardy in class or when they call her to say they passed their exam. 

“When they’re happy, I’m happy.  I love to be the first person that they call and say I did it! I passed!” she said. “It’s an exhilarating feeling, and I love having it. I feel when they win, the school wins. I win. The teachers win. We all win together.” 

Outside of work, Dr. Henderson loves to cook and read. She also loves to ride her Harley, but, having just relocated from Indiana to Arizona, she’s still adjusting to the change in weather. 

Her best piece of advice is to never give up. “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and just because we have one bad day doesn’t mean that tomorrow is going to be a bad day. Every day that you wake up is a fresh start, so don’t give up.” 

She’s excited about the future of the NA program at BU and the difference it’s going to make in the lives of CNA students. 

“Our program is unique and different in that students are allowed to make mistakes. The learning environment  —  it’s there for you to learn. So mistakes are always okay,” she said. “I think we have a great thing going on here at BU. I love my job, and I have to say I love waking up to come to work in the morning, so I think that’s awesome for me. But I think that it’s great for students that they have teachers and instructors who love what they do, and they come in and they’re dedicated.” 

The Bryan University Employee Spotlight is an initiative that recognizes employees monthly. All employees of Bryan University are eligible. Learn more about Careers at Bryan University.

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