78 Photo Essay: Frances Stephens, Nursing Student, BSCC

Words by Justin Hunter | Image by Blakeney Clouse 

“But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry, I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace,” – Acts 20:24.

When Frances Stephens was a young girl, her grandmother gave her a little angel heart locket. Within the locket was a tiny scroll where an individual could write out a prayer or goal, so the message could always be close to the chest. 

“I wrote to find out what God has called me to do,” Frances says. 

The night Frances discovered her calling was to be an OB/GYN nurse practitioner, she phoned her grandmother and said, “I found it.” 

Previously, Frances had been undecided on what field to enter, but two experiences helped seal her decision. One was an inspirational lecture by her obstetrics professor at Bevill State Community College, Amanda Sourvelis, and the other was starting OB rounds at Walker Baptist Medical Center. 

As a result, God put a fire in Stephens’ heart for women’s health. She is now a huge proponent of patient education and for women to learn more about their bodies. She wants to help dispel the fear that many women associate with healthcare.

“I love those moments of bonding in women’s health,” Frances says, “like in the first moments of a mom meeting her baby for the first time, seeing a baby breathe for the first time, or being there to comfort moms when something is wrong.”

Her nursing journey actually began in 2012 when she was in the eighth grade. Her little sister, Caroline, who was eight years old at the time, was diagnosed with pediatric Crohn’s disease, and Frances helped take care of her by changing her dressing and hooking up food tubing to the PICC line in her arm. Nine years later, Caroline is doing great and Frances is set to graduate from the nursing program at BSCC. It will be a manifested answer of a childhood prayer, the culmination of hard work, and the first significant step toward becoming an OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner. 

Frances sums up her calling thusly: “When I look at my patients, I see each of them as children of God. They are daughters, sisters, aunties, uncles, fathers, mothers, and sons. Each is a spiritual being with a permanent existence, and I’m taking care of their temporary earthly body. And so, my little bitty part is to help them get whole.” 78