#MeetUsMonday - Meet ABSN Student Jase Davis
Meet ABSN Student Jase Davis.
Former high school football player, gym regular, and guitarist (with a soft spot for early-2000s acoustic nostalgia). Outdoors enthusiast who spends his downtime fishing at Ragged Mountain Reservoir or hiking the Shenandoah. Waynesboro native who grew up just over the mountain and set his sights on UVA as a kid—first falling for Grounds while tagging along to football, basketball, and baseball games with his uncle. Came to healthcare thinking “doctor,” but found his fit in nursing after exploring hands-on, patient-centered impact up close at his mentorship through the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School. Vice president of UVA’s emerging chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing and active in Shoes for Hope, connecting pediatric oncology patients with UVA basketball and fundraising through custom-painted game-day shoes. An accelerated BSN student who now thrives in his close-knit cohort, embracing the fast pace and strong sense of community.
HIS PATH TO NURSING
“I’m from Waynesboro, Virginia, right over the mountain. I grew up coming to UVA a lot because my uncle would take me to sporting events—football, basketball, baseball—and that was really my first impression of the UVA. I loved it from there, and my whole life I wanted to end up here.”
“I have two older sisters—one works in Richmond as a hospital administrator and the other is at Shenandoah University in their PA program—so healthcare has always kind of been around.”
“I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare because I like helping people. For the longest time I thought that meant becoming a doctor. But as I got older, I started to realize that what I thought being a doctor was didn’t really match what the day-to-day actually looked like. I had some family members who were hospitalized, and my uncle is a doctor, so I got to see more of what that career looked like. I realized there was a lot of time spent in offices and behind closed doors, and what I had imagined doing—being with patients, interacting with them, helping them directly—was really more like what nurses do.”
“In high school I did a mentorship through the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School where I spent about 60 hours over the summer on a med-surg unit at Augusta Health. I got to spend time with CNAs and RNs, and those nurses were great. They made sure to show me everything they were doing. I loved everything about it, and after that experience I immediately turned around and applied to UVA School of Nursing.”
“I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare because I like helping people. For the longest time I thought that meant becoming a doctor....I had some family members who were hospitalized, and my uncle is a doctor, so I got to see more of what that career looked like. I realized there was a lot of time spent in offices and behind closed doors, and what I had imagined doing—being with patients, interacting with them, helping them directly—was really more like what nurses do.”
Jase Davis, ABSN student
WHY THE ABSN PROGRAM AT UVA?
“I originally came in as a first-year nursing student, but I had a lot of dual enrollment and AP credits coming in. When I met with my advisor, Lynn Corbett, she helped me realize I had kind of a strange number of credits where some semesters I would have had to take extra classes just to stay full time. She showed me this newer accelerated program where you can graduate in two years of nursing coursework. For me, it would end up being three years total.”
“At first, I wasn’t sure about it, but after talking through the plan and seeing how they were restructuring the program, it seemed like a really good opportunity. So I switched into the ABSN program after my first year.”
WHAT THE ABSN PROGRAM IS LIKE
“The ABSN program is a little intense, but manageable. We have two semesters of pharmacology, two semesters of pathophysiology, and several clinical classes, so a lot is packed into the first year. But you quickly figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You learn how to manage your time and how to succeed.”
“It’s also massively rewarding. You come into labs in the summer and you don’t know anything—you’re learning how to put on gloves—and within three months you’re stepping into a hospital room. One of my favorite parts is that it’s a smaller cohort. There are 28 of us, so you get to know everyone quickly and spend more time together. It’s really cool to see the people you met just a few months ago growing alongside you while you’re learning all of this together.”
“I’ve also had great clinical experiences. Every clinical instructor I’ve had has made me feel comfortable while also teaching me every chance they get. During our first clinical simulation at the start of the fall, I remember feeling really hesitant walking into the clinical center in my scrubs, especially knowing we’d be working with real people—not a robot or a voice. Our only job was to go in and introduce ourselves, which sounds simple, but when you’re a ‘baby nurse,’ that’s pretty intimidating. Having real people there, without all the added pressure, lets you focus on the basics—checking your equipment, making sure everything’s ready, and just saying hello to the patient. You’re nervous, but it helps you get your feet under you. That experience made me feel so much more comfortable, not just for the rest of simulation, but going into clinical the following week.”
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is time management. When it’s time to work, I know there’s no time to mess around. But downtime is huge too. When I do have free time, I try to do something that actually relaxes me—going outside, spending time with friends, getting away from a screen.”
“We also learned a lot about wellness through the Compassionate Care Initiative. At first I didn’t really understand it, but I’ve realized how important it is to find what works for you. I’ve learned that even during stressful times, you can step away, relax, and be present. The work will still be there, but you don’t have to let it consume you.”
“The ABSN program is massively rewarding. You come into labs in the summer and you don’t know anything—you’re learning how to put on gloves—and within three months you’re stepping into a hospital room. One of my favorite parts is that it’s a smaller cohort. There are 28 of us, so you get to know everyone quickly and spend more time together. It’s really cool to see the people you met just a few months ago growing alongside you while you’re learning all of this together.”
Jase Davis, ABSN student
WHY SHOULD PEOPLE CHOOSE UVA SCHOOL OF NURSING
“If you had asked me that question a year and a half ago, I probably would have said it’s the best school in the state and a great academic program. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a really tight-knit community. From the moment you arrive at orientation, people want to see you succeed. The advisors are knowledgeable and they really help put you in positions where you can do well.”
“The professors have your best interests in mind. If you come to them with a concern, they actually listen and try to help—whether that’s taking extra time with you or adjusting things if something isn’t working. At the same time, they challenge you. They’re not just going to hold your hand—they push you so you become the best nurse you can be.”
“And UVA in general is just a great community. Grounds are beautiful, Charlottesville is a really cool place, and there are a lot of hidden spots around the area.”
UVA SCHOOL OF NURSING IN A WORD
“Invested. The people here are invested in your success. The advisors know you, the professors listen to you, and there are people whose whole job is to make sure nursing students do well.”
“You rarely walk into the building without seeing someone you know or someone saying hello. Even among the students, everyone understands that the program is hard, but we get through it by leaning on each other.”
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