We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Kimberley Kelly DNP MSN BSN RN and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Kimberley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I found myself going through an unexpected divorce with two children 15 months and five years of age. I already had one business, my consulting firm, Compliance Review Services Inc. and knew I had to diversify to support my small family. Several of my home health clients suggested that I open up a nursing school or allied health school because I had been so successful in helping them open and run their businesses as a healthcare consultant. I had taught the nurse aide and med tech program in Florida at Lee Votech, and decided to start with a nurse aide school, which then led to vocational nursing, and where we are at today. I wanted to help the future generations to become aides and nurses and I wanted to take the knowledge I had learned and give back. I especially wanted to help the nurse aides and medication aides to become nurses, many were single moms who did not have the ability to become nurses on their own. This helped us to establish non-traditional classroom hours and launch the first vocational nurse evening program in 2017.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I earned by Bachelor of Science Degree from The Ohio State University. I then went back to school to earn my masters in nursing education in 2015 and completed my doctorate in nursing practice in 2018. I have worked hard and long to educate myself, learn, and grow two businesses, Compliance Review Services Inc. and The Vocational Nursing Institute Inc. I have worked at Cleveland Clinic as a liver transplant, med-surg nurse, in home health, and devoted many years to long-term care as a Director of Nurses with Beverly Enterprises and as a weekend supervisor here in Houston at Oakmont of Katy. It has not been easy, and many times I felt like throwing in the towel, but inside of me is a persistence, a motivation not to quit. I feel that God has led me on the path I have been on, but some days I question his plan! I try to let him lead me, and am grateful for the journey. I am most proud of co-authoring an article with Dr. Virginia Ayars, at the Texas Board of Nursing, it was and has been a highlight in my career. I respect her and look up to her and Dr. Janice Hooper very much as mentors and leaders in nursing education. I have learned that failure is a part of success. I have learned that leading by example is important, and people will make mistakes, but they are often the lesson we learn that we most needed to experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Dining; Downtown the restaurant that circles the city up high- Taste of Texas – Music: The Barn on Meuschke or Bernhardt Sunday Concert series
Day trip: Go and follow the blue bonnet wine trail which takes you locally to the vineyards nearby
Galveston: Visit the beach
Rockport: Visit this great quaint town for dinner on the water and drinks and to listen to live music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to my father, Larry Jay Richlak. My dad inspired me to open my own business one year before he unexpectedly passed away. He had observed how I helped a home health agency in Houston Texas grow into a multi million dollar company as the Administrator and he asked me about starting my own company. He encouraged me and told me I was smart enough and he was not too old to put on a suit and help me. It was after he passed that I recalled that conversation and I had the opportunity to help an agency and the consulting business was born from there. This was in 1997 and we are still going strong in 2023.

Website: www.vocationalnursinginstitute.com and www.compliancereviewservices.com

Instagram: vocationalnursinginstitute22

Twitter: @VocnsgVni

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vocational-nursing-institute-houston?osq=the+vocational+nursing+institute

Image Credits
Dr. Kimberley Kelly DNP MSN BSN RN

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