Midland College provided catalyst for nurse practitioner careerNovember 24, 2020

Kwayu “Peter” Abraham is dedicated to helping people.  The 30-year-old East African native followed his sister to Midland and then to Midland College 10 years ago.  Since that time, Abraham has successfully obtained three degrees and is now a nurse practitioner in the Emergency Room at Midland Memorial Hospital (MMH). 

“I grew up in Tanzania and attended boarding school from 3rd grade until high school graduation in Kenya,” Abraham explained.  “We would go to school for 3 months and then have 1 month off, when I would go home to Tanzania to be with my family. 

Through family friends, my older sister had moved to Washington State and then went to Midland and took vocational nursing courses at Midland College.  In 2010, she encouraged me to move to Midland to attend Midland College.”

Abraham was able to obtain a student visa to study in the United States, and he enrolled at Midland College where he spent a year taking prerequisite courses and applying to Midland College’s Associate Degree nursing program.  In August 2011, he was accepted into the program, which prepares students to become registered nurses.  He financed his way through college by working in the evenings and on weekends as a Certified Nurse Aide at Terrace West Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.  In May 2013, Abraham graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing and was immediately hired to be an Emergency Room (ER) nurse at MMH. 

“There was such a demand for nurses, so I was hired as a student nurse even before I passed the licensure boards,” Abraham said.  “In June of 2013 I took the licensure exam and passed.  I wanted to keep striving to better myself.  So, In January 2014, I enrolled at Lubbock Christian University in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.”

Abraham continued to work in the ER at MMH during this time.  He said that he scheduled his courses so that he could drive to Lubbock and attend classes from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. two days each week and still be able to work a full-time shift at MMH.  He graduated in just 18 months. 

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, Abraham decided it was time to make a career move in order to work for a level 1 trauma center, so he obtained a job in the Emergency Room at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston. 

“That was a great experience being able to work in a metropolitan ER,” Abraham said. “It reinforced in me that my passion is definitely working in emergency medicine. 

“In the summer of 2016, I enrolled in a master’s degree nursing program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.  Unfortunately, it was impossible to juggle working at a level 1 trauma center and attend school full-time.  I left Ben Taub and was hired by a contract nursing agency.  I worked in the ER at six different hospitals, so I was able to see how a variety of hospital ERs are run.  I also worked some at minor emergency clinics.”

Abraham remembered not getting much sleep during that time.  He would take classes during the day and work in the evenings and on weekends.  Of course, he also had to study.  However, it wasn’t all work for Abraham.  It was during this time that friends introduced him to his future wife Jaslyn.  Their first date was attending an African concert in Houston, and Abraham said it was pretty much love at first sight.

After earning his master’s degree and his nurse practitioner license, Abraham moved back to Midland in January 2019 and was hired once again as a member of the ER team at MMH.  He is now one of nine nurse practitioners and physician assistants employed in the ER.

“I work thirteen shifts per month,” Abraham explained.  “Twelve of those are in the evenings from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and I also work one 8- to 12-hour daytime shift.”

Being no stranger to keeping busy, Abraham is also employed part-time conducting home assessments for health insurance companies.  In addition, he is a marathon and triathlon athlete and is currently training for a one-half iron man competition to be held in Lubbock this coming June.  The competition involves a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.

He and Jaslyn have two children—Harmony is 5 and Halo is 2.  Jaslyn is a professional photographer and has her own business, Jaslyn K. Photography.

“Because Jaslyn is a local business entrepreneur, we are strong supporters of local small businesses,” Abraham said.  “In fact, we try to buy locally and eat at locally owned restaurants as much as possible.”

Since moving to the U.S., Abraham has only been able to go back to Tanzania once, in 2013.  At the time, he was able to see his father; however, his mother had passed away in 2011 after he had just begun nursing school at Midland College.  This past May, his father passed away from COVID. 

Abraham said that working in an ER, he doesn’t get much opportunity to actually treat COVID patients; however, he has participated in the diagnosis of several COVID cases. 

“We will get people coming in because of abdominal pain or who have been in a car accident,” Abraham explained.  “When we look at the CT scans, we can tell by looking at their lungs that they have COVID—they just aren’t manifesting any symptoms yet.  COVID has up to a 10-day incubation period, so people have it and don’t even know it.  In the meantime, they are going about their daily lives and spreading it.  It really is a devastating disease.

“Even though I’ve been extensively trained in the proper use of PPE and how to stay safe, every day when I go to work I know that I’m putting my family at risk.  However, God instilled in me the desire, skills and talent to be a good nurse, and it’s my job to use what He gave me to help others.”

Nursing is definitely a calling for Abraham.  His future goals include going back to school once again to obtain a doctoral degree in nursing.

“While my career is important, and I truly love being a nurse, my principal job is raising a Christian family that believes in God,” Abraham concluded.  “My biggest achievement is being a father and taking care of my children.”