How One ODUGlobal Student Found Purpose in Nursing After Traumatic Accident

Kendra Yates found her future in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Confined to a room for 57 days at the Evans-Haynes Burn Center at Virginia Commonwealth University following a motorcycle accident, Yates had moments of discouragement and dismay. But the overwhelming feeling Yates experienced was inspiration. The care she received in the hospital set an example for Yates to redirect her journey towards helping others in similar situations.

"I just kept feeling like this was the perfect fit for me," Yates said. "My care team got me through this horrible experience with their dedication, their empathy and their professionalism. I thought, 'Why can't I do this for people, too?'"

Seven years after her accident, Yates will graduate from ODU's online bachelor's program in nursing through a dual enrollment program with Rappahannock Community College. She graduated with an associate degree in nursing from Rappahannock in December 2023 and passed her nursing licensure test in March.

Yates plans to work near her hometown of Saluda, Virginia, a rural community about 50 miles east of Richmond. Saluda lacks healthcare options like other rural areas in the country. Yates wants to help make a difference and give back to her community.

"The people I can help are the grandparents and parents of people I grew up around, people I would see at the store," Yates said. "These are people I want to take care of, and they deserve quality care."

Yates discovered the impact of compassionate care following her accident.

After the motorcycle she was a passenger on hit a rough patch on Interstate 95 in Richmond, Yates was flung 75 feet behind the crash. She suffered road rash on 85 percent of her body and needed seven surgeries. She battled sepsis following the accident and spent 14 days on a ventilator. Even after leaving the hospital, Yates was homebound for a year to avoid infections.

But Yates said the doctors and nurses "turned a storm into sunshine." They gave her the care that saved her life, Yates said, and were then there every day to provide motivation and support for her physical and emotional well-being.

"They showed me that I was more than my trauma," Yates said.

Following her recovery, Yates gave birth to two sons, and that became the final motivational push to enter health care.

Yates wanted to create a legacy her sons would be proud of and serve as a role model for them as someone who didn't let difficult circumstances define her.

While she was attending Rappahannock, ODU staff visited the community college and pitched dual enrollment to nursing students, and that meeting sold Yates on ODUGlobal.

"They were so welcoming, and so willing to help navigate life and school," Yates said. "It felt like a partnership. There was no pressure."

The flexibility of online education allowed Yates to pursue her degree on her own time, with a plan that fit her schedule.

Yates took 14-15 credits per semester while enrolled in the associate and bachelor's programs, and she added 10 credit hours in the summer. She also worked with her mother's cleaning company. The online modality provided the flexibility for Yates to balance the workload with being a mom.

"I didn't miss a single party or a practice or a recital," Yates said. "There's no way I could've done that without taking classes online."

Yates' primary goal was getting registered nursing licensure through the program at Rappahannock, and she said ODUGlobal staff supported her entirely even though she was attending a different school.

"They just wanted me to succeed," Yates said. "That was very empowering and impactful."

Yates' drive and passion will propel her to two degrees in just over three years when she graduates from ODU in May.

She's already started making the same impact on others she found so comforting as a patient.

As part of her clinical education, Yates worked on the same floor at Evans-Haynes where she stayed as a patient and with some of the doctors and nurses who cared for her. Her doctor, Michael Feldman, and her nurse, Katherine Davis, attended her community college graduation.

"You reach your dreams with hard work, but you also need so much help along the way," Yates said. "I think I can be the help for others."