We start our first feature of AUSON alumni during Black History Month. Meet George Sneed, Jr. from the Class of 1996.
George Sneed, Jr. chose nursing to help people. His mother, a registered nurse, had a great influence on his choice. “Although she never encouraged me to become a nurse, she suggested it for my sister,” Sneed said. “I was always around hospitals as a child and would often listen to her daily conversations about her shifts once she came home. These greatly impacted my career choice.”
“AUSON prepared me for my job by exposing us to many different clinical settings in our professional courses. The course work was very rigorous. I was given the opportunity to work as a nursing assistant while I was in school and being a student at Auburn made the hiring process very easy. It has a great reputation and relationship with East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC).
"I have faced several challenges, but my career has mostly been very rewarding. As a new graduate, I looked very young and for several years I would often be underestimated by patients. The experience and comfort I had working in the hospital as a nursing assistant helped me to overcome this barrier. There were other occasions when patients preferred a female nurse instead of a male. Many of these challenges changed over time as society became more accepting of men in the profession. When I left EAMC, I moved to Atlanta to work at Emory University.”
Sneed currently works at Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles as director of quality. “Some of my key roles are regulatory compliance with the city, county, state, and federal governments and preparing the hospital for surveys or (visits) by these agencies. I am responsible for maintaining high quality care within the hospital and ensuring that we perform to these standards. As the hospital’s risk manager, I report to our CEO any events that may cause the hospital liability.
“I believe that diversity in the workplace is extremely important. I serve on a three-person leadership team composed of diverse members. We all bring our experiences and perspectives about every issue we face both inside and outside the hospital. Our staff of 383 is very comfortable knowing that race, sex, religion, or ethnicity are not barriers to performing to their best ability.
Sneed serves on Auburn’s alumni diversity board. He advises young men and women who may want to enter the nursing profession to do so if they genuinely care about people. “If a young person’s heart and mind are well positioned, he/she will be able to live comfortably and be rewarded by the personal accomplishment of knowing they made a difference in saving lives.”
