Editor's note: This story is reprinted from the April issue of GCU Magazine. To read the digital version of the magazine, click here.
By Ashlee Larrison
GCU Magazine
Branden and Kristine Murphy want to make a difference in the lives of foster children. Three of their four children were adopted from foster care and have complex medical conditions.
Leon was a victim of shaken baby syndrome and is severely delayed, both cognitively and developmentally. Skylar is dependent on permanent intravenous feeding. Steven was found at a hospital with more than 20 fractures, a popped lung and broken teeth.
“My hobbies really are taking care of my medically complex kiddos and advocating for them,” Branden said.
His career in nursing has been equally impressive. He started out as a nursing assistant in a rehabilitation hospital and, after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Grand Canyon University, is a full-time instructor at Arizona College’s Las Vegas campus.
In November, he was appointed – at age 32 – to the Nevada Board of Nursing by Gov. Steve Sisolak.
“I think it’s because of my diverse background and strong reputation,” Murphy said.
He also has worked in a burn unit and as a registered nurse in a pediatric intensive care unit. In addition, he has been a member of the Certified Nursing Assistant Advisory Committee and the Education Advisory Committee.
He heard about GCU after starting his bachelor’s in nursing at another college and being unsatisfied with the program. “It was a super awesome experience,” he said of GCU. “The things I love about GCU: One of them is that you always know what to expect. Another thing that I really liked about being a GCU student is that it was easy to be a student. I don’t want to say the coursework was easy, but it was very streamlined, which allowed me to focus on the course and get the content out of the course instead of figuring out how the course works.”
Contact Ashlee Larrison at (602) 639-8488 or [email protected]
