Ascension Seton nurse dedicated to career growth

Jennifer Vela, operations manager at Ascension Seton Edgar B Davis, has served as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) for 20 years, and at Ascension Seton for more than ten years. Since she began working with Ascension in 2010, Jennifer has experienced significant growth and has a lot to be proud of. Jennifer currently serves as an operations manager in Ascension Seton’s south market, which includes seven clinics. At 45, Jennifer became a registered nurse (RN), and will start her residency at Ascension Seton Hays early next year.

Additionally, Jennifer is a recipient of the 2022 Ascension Texas Nurse Scholarships, which provided $517,500 in scholarships to 82 Ascension Texas associates pursuing a nursing degree. Since 2005, 719 associates have been granted more than $3 million in scholarships.

“My goal was always to become an RN,” said Jennifer. “My priority over the years has been my six children, and now I am happy to pursue my dreams of advancing my degree, and eventually becoming a nurse practitioner.”

Throughout her time as a nurse, Jennifer has enjoyed working with patients of all ages and backgrounds.

“I’ve been especially passionate about my work with elderly patients,” said Jennifer. “They need a lot of specialized care, and have always had a special place in my heart."

The majority of her time as a nurse so far has been in internal medicine where she has had a range of responsibilities. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer was an integral part of setting up drive-through testing at her clinic.