Jacob Sumner, BSN, RN, CCRN, is a registered nurse in the cardiovascular ICU at NKC Health in North Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), Jacob is dedicated to patient care and also to leadership, education and community involvement. He serves on UMKC’s alumni board, actively engages with his local AACN chapter and is pursuing a dual Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and MBA. Jacob’s passion for elevating himself and others shines through in his nursing journey, his certification story and his commitment to lifelong learning.
How did you find your way into critical care nursing?
Nursing found me at a moment when I didn’t know what direction my life would take. I didn’t want to be behind a desk forever. I wanted diversification, something that could take me anywhere from a helicopter to a school. During clinicals, everything was on the table. I went into my clinicals wide-eyed and open-minded. But once I got there, I quickly realized what wasn’t for me. I like to think of it like a bookshelf: I’d pick something up, appreciate it, but recognize that it wasn’t really for me. By the time I graduated, critical care was the one area where I could see myself not only doing this, but being happy and successful here. And that’s how I landed in critical care.
Tell us about your involvement with your local AACN chapter and the scholarship opportunity you and your chapter created.
I became more connected with my local AACN chapter as their community engagement chair. Community work is such an important part of my core values, so I thought, this is perfect. I can combine my personal mission with my professional growth. That’s how I got started with the Greater Kansas City Chapter.
Scholarship has always been a key part of our mission, both at AACN and our chapter. As a board, we discussed how we could expand support for nurses. I helped carry that torch and think through what it could look like. The reality is, even with fair AACN membership pricing, the exam fee is still over $200. For a lot of people, myself included, that’s a significant expense. In today’s economy, $200 could be groceries, gas or even an electric bill. Those things matter, and they can absolutely be a barrier.
I’m really proud that our chapter came together to create scholarship opportunities to support nurses in that capacity. It feels good knowing we’re removing obstacles and helping more nurses reach their goals.
You’ve described certification as a professional goal. What motivated you to pursue it?
Certification, for me, was a benchmark of expertise, a way to show patients and colleagues that I’m invested in my practice and knowledge base. It validates my competency. Honestly, I think certification should be a requirement. Beyond my NCLEX, there was never another checkpoint to prove competency in critical care. Certification provides that assurance for patients and the healthcare team.
What benefits do you believe certification brings to nurses, patients and the healthcare team?
I think that it serves as a verification, a validation that I do know my content, that I am a safe practicing nurse. It’s also just reassurance. Certification proves nurses have the knowledge to back up their compassion. For teams, it creates a shared culture of excellence that can be applied across hospitals nationwide. And it keeps us sharper as nurses. The more confident and competent we are, the better we can collaborate.
How did AACN resources support you in preparing for certification?
AACN gave me a road map. Their prep tools were like a GPS for my studying, with practice tests, videos and a countdown that kept me motivated. I even discovered that the area I struggled with most was cardiovascular content, my own specialty. It challenged me to reconcile what we do in practice with national standards, which made me a stronger nurse. While studying for my CCRN, I worked backwards. A lot of people will study for a test and then schedule the test. I've been a nurse for three years. I needed the push. I set the date a month or two out from where I started, and then I used that to light a fire under me to keep going. With the AACN practice tests, you can actually put in your exam date, and it gives you a countdown every time you log in to your portal; how many days you have left. With these resources, I was able to take my exam and pass it.
How did certification impact your peers and your unit?
Within 30 days of my passing the CCRN, two to three colleagues also passed theirs. Sometimes people just need to see it’s attainable. I tell them, “If you can score 80% on a cold practice test, stop studying and schedule your exam. You’re ready.” That small shift in perspective motivated others to take the leap.
Nursing can be tough. What drives you forward during challenging times?
I’ve experienced burnout, codes, even physical assault, but I’ve also experienced patients walking out of the ICU who thought they never would. Nursing is both an art and a science. You can’t teach that presence; you have to live it.
Humor helps me, too. I like to heal with humor when it’s right for the room. It’s about balance, resilience and remembering the impact we have every day.
Looking back, what are you most proud of?
I’m proud of being the mentor I wish I’d had. Whether it’s my siblings, my patients or my colleagues, I try to be a resource for others. Every step of my career has been about elevating through certification, mentorship or graduate school. For me, it’s all about continually rising.
What is one word to describe your journey as a nurse so far and why?
Elevating. Every step: certification, mentorship, graduate school, feels like an elevation. Not just for me, but for the profession.
What would we be surprised to learn about you outside of nursing?
I have two cats, Edward and Bella. I got them about six months apart, right after finishing “The Twilight Saga.” With my name being Jacob, it just felt like fate, so now we’re this perfect little trio. I also have a dog named Teddy, a Chinese Shar Pei I adopted from my family. He’s really wrinkly and cute.
I’m not very athletic, but I’ve gone through a 225-pound weight loss journey that completely reshaped how I see life and healthcare. It gave me a whole new perspective, both as a former bariatric patient and now as a healthy 30-year-old nurse.
