Ubulu-Uku Born Mass Communicator Bags Doctorate In Nursing At American University

By Frank Oshanugor

Sheer determination to break barriers has ultimately paid off, for Mrs. Amechi Lilian Obodoagha (nee Ikediashi); a graduate of Mass Communication from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTH) as she recently bagged a Doctorate in Nursing from University of Massachusetts Global (UMASSGLOBAL), in United States of America.

Dr . Obodoagha who hails from Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, after graduating from ESUTH with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication had in 2004 relocated to the United States to join her newly wedded husband

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Barely three years after she arrived America, she began to develop less interest in journalism or its related profession perhaps due to the new environment she found herself. Gradually, she developed more interest in nursing and in 2007 began her nursing career as a Nursing Assistant (CNA). While working as a CNA, she enrolled in vocational school, and afterward became qualified as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in 2010 at St. Francis Career College.

Soon after that, she enrolled at South West College for nursing pre-requisite as a part-time student. On completion of the programme in 2014 at South West Junior College and obtained Associate Degree ( AD), she gained admission to Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science and obtained a Master’s in Nursing (MSN and MPH) in 2015.

Licensed as a registered Nurse in 2017, Amechi enrolled for the Family Nurse Practitioner in 2017and got certified in 2019 (FNP-BC) at Charles R Drew University. With her certification as an FNP she subsequently enrolled at University of Massachusetts Global (UMASSGLOBAL) to a combo program to study Psychiatric Nursing and Doctoral in Nursing practice (DNP) in 2020.

With some measure of hard work, she got certified in March 2022 as Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Doctoral of Nurse Practice, (DNP) in May, 2022 at University of Massachusetts Global, Irvine campus. She had a successful dissertation defense on August 29, 2022 and awaiting degree conferral.

Speaking with AtlanticNewsonline on phone at the weekend, Dr. Obodoagha decided to tell her story on why she chose to abandon her initial area of interest which is mass communication and opted for nursing. “I decided to be a nurse, to render a better care to my patients during their path of recovering.

“This decision was made after a terrible and horrifying experience from uncaring and insensitive nurses in a hospital in Southern California in 2004 when I had my twin boys. I said to myself, I will become a nurse, not just a nurse, but a nurse that will make a unique difference in the lives of patients under my care. As a licensed nurse, I promised myself to render care in a compassionate way, and be a unique nurse whose mark of care will remain evergreen in the minds of my patients.  As a Nurse, I know I will support my patients holistically and make them recover faster.

“My life so far, has been school, work and home making. It was hard no doubt, as I worked full time jobs, most times, two jobs to make ends meet and support my children and husband. My word of encouragement is that it is doable. All it takes is courage, determination and endurance. If I did it, someone else could do it as well.”

At present, Dr. Amechi Lilian Obodoagha works as a Registered Nurse with College Hospital in Long Beach California, and also works on part time at Global Medical Integrated Group in California as a family nurse practitioner.

Married with two lovely male twins, she currently resides with her family in Gardena, California. She has so much passion taking care of patients and obviously takes great pride in doing so.  She would not hesitate to say that “at work, I am a good team player. At home I love to cook and besides cooking, I love to take care of my children and my husband by being a good wife and a great mother.”