Yolande Ngounou has such a passion and dedication for veterans her eyes light up when she talks about them.
“They are such a special population. Veterans are the best,” she says. “I appreciate taking care of them because of their struggles, and the stories behind their service during active duty are very fascinating.”
Ngounou earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus in 2019. She will graduate in August with an MS in Nursing/VMHC specialty and will immediately start in the college’s DNP Veteran and Military Health Care Leadership program this fall.
“This population pushes me to do better, and I want to give them the care they deserve,” she says. “I have that passion to take care of veterans, so I knew I needed to learn more.”
Her compassion and desire to improve care is why she was chosen as a Jonas Scholar for the program’s 2024-2026 cohort by Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Ngounou will receive financial support, mentorship, and a curriculum designed to transition into a faculty role.
“It was so surreal when I found out,” she says. “I still need someone to pinch me because even now I can’t believe it. I said to myself, ‘You get to keep going and you’re going to continue school.’ This adds to my passion and my commitment to making an impact in veterans’ lives.”
Understanding Veterans’ Care
Ngounou works at the Rocky Mountain VA on the MedSurg oncology floor. She also helps oversee all evidence-based practices done by nurses at the VA by reviewing and implementing research. When she tells patients she’s studying veteran and military healthcare, she says they’re so appreciative.
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“They always tell me, ‘Finally someone is thinking about us and our care’,” she says. “And I tell them my education is why I’m able to care for them. I’m able to understand what they need and what they’re talking about. Veterans can sometimes come into the hospital with a lot of problems, and I come in and listen to them. I discuss things with them and see how I can help.”
She says continuing her education at CU Nursing has helped her find a connection between being a nurse and treating veterans.
“There’s sometimes an emptiness when you’re a civilian treating a veteran because we haven’t been through the same experiences. Going through the MS program has closed that gap for me,” she says. “We need to understand certain things, like navigating the VA system, so we can take care of veterans right away and give them the care they need.”
“There’s sometimes an emptiness when you’re a civilian treating a veteran because we haven’t been through the same experiences. Going through the MS program has closed that gap for me,” she says.
A Wartime Decision
Ngounou’s path to caring for veterans has a special place in her heart. Her grandfather – a native of Cameroon – was drafted into the Amy during World War II in Africa. He worked as a cook and did not see any combat.
One day, Ngounou says an officer asked her grandfather (in the middle of the night) to buy a cigarette. He was hesitant because the request seemed odd – but his decision to leave ultimately saved his life.
“The area where he was stationed was bombed. Everyone died, and my grandpa was the only survivor because he left. Because of that decision, my mom is alive and I’m alive today.”
Ngounou says when she started working as a nurse, she thought of her grandpa and wishes he was alive today to see the care veterans receive in the US.
“When I started working at the VA, I thought, ‘This is how we should be treating veterans’,” she says. “When I told my mom about the scholarship, she told me that my grandpa would be so proud of me. I don’t know where my MS and DNP degrees will take me, but I know I’m being called on for great things, I’m sure of it.”
