As Director of the Apollo School of Practical Nursing/Nursing Education in Lima, Ohio, Lisa Brackney brings to the healthcare industry nearly 30 years of nursing experience, with 22 years as a nurse educator. Previous nursing experience includes medical surgical nursing to long term care nursing where Ms. Brackney gained extensive knowledge with geriatric nursing. This included charge nurse experience, and patient assessment nurse experience to the ADON (Assistant Director of Nursing). She also taught the state licensed nurse aid program in a long term care facility.

Graduating with an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing), RN (Registered Nurse) (1988) from Lima Technical College, BSN (Bachelor’s Science of Nursing) (1996) from Franklin University and finally MSN (Masters Science in Nursing) from University of Phoenix (2002), Brackney has been in her current role as the Director of the Practical Nursing Program for a decade. Prior to this title, she was the lead faculty member in the Nursing program for theory, skills, labs, and clinical areas as well.

As the director of a practical nursing program, day to day responsibilities for Brackney include overseeing faculty teaching courses, skills, and simulation labs in clinical sites and local healthcare facilities. She oversees 50-80 students, scheduling clinical programs for students and faculty, developing program curricula, and managing day to day budget aspects and program applications. Ms. Brackney also serves as a member of Apollo’s safety committee, offering customized training to those in local healthcare facilities, in addition to teaching courses in law and ethics. Along with these responsibilities, Brackney also maintains accreditation and regulatory agency requirements with respect to the nursing program.

According to Ms. Brackney, she became involved in her current profession as her mother was a nurse, helping her in nursing homes and volunteering, before working as a nurse’s aide. Through working alongside her mother for exposure, Brackney realized she enjoyed helping patients as well as their families, realizing that her compassion towards others drove her to nursing and education.

Brackney has garnered numerous awards and recognitions, including being the Educational Chair of the Ohio Practical Nurse Educators Organization, as well as Advisory Chair of her local college’s nursing education program. She is also honored to have been presented with The Healthcare Trainer of the Year Award, as well as being Cambridge’s “Who’s Who” Professional of the Year, representing Healthcare Training in 2009, and Cambridge’s “Who’s Who” Executive Professional of the Year in 2010. Brackney is also associated with the LPNAO (Licensed Practical Nursing Association of Ohio) and OOPNE (Ohio Organization Practical Nurse Educators), and is an inducted member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She has served as Vice President for Family Readiness Group’s military unit for four years, where she has extensively volunteered and assisted families, whose significant others were deployed.

Ms. Brackney cites her marriage to her husband, Denny, along with raising her three children Kyle, Kory, and Katelyn as personal achievements. Her eldest son Kyle is a chiropractor, Kory is a mechanical engineer and her daughter Katelyn plans to specialize in neuroscience.  In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren.