An Uncommon Remedy To Empower The Next Generation Of Nurses!

As a young, single mother, Mona Clayton faced immense challenges while navigating the rigorous demands of nursing school. With no support system to lean on, she juggled the responsibilities of parenthood with the exhausting requirements of her studies. 

Living in South Central Los Angeles, Mona often felt isolated, battling both financial strain and the constant pressure to excel in her coursework. Yet, despite the odds stacked against her, her determination never wavered. 

Upon graduating, Mona found herself reflecting on the struggles she had endured and the obstacles many others in her community faced when pursuing their dreams. She understood the importance of a support system—something she had lacked during her journey—and was driven by a deep sense of responsibility to give back. 

Recognizing the need for mentorship and guidance, Mona became committed to helping others from South Central Los Angeles.

Mona's journey is truly inspiring, demonstrating how personal challenges and setbacks can be transformed into powerful motivators for change. Her experience with being underestimated by her career counselor clearly had a lasting impact, fueling her passion to help others who might be in similar situations. 

By creating a program in 2022 for high school students, she not only drew from her own experience of lacking "cultural capital," but also recognized the need to open doors to opportunities that these students might not otherwise have access to—especially in fields like nursing, which they might not even be aware of as a viable career option. 

Her decision to leave her staff position as a Registered Nurse in 2007 and dive into the realm of motivational speaking, event production, and writing further emphasizes her commitment to empowering others.

One of Mona’s greatest achievements was having her first published book accepted on the shelves of Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Now, Mona is the author of "From Student to Nurse: Surviving the Journey as Painlessly as Possible," "The Survival Journal for Nursing Students," and "The Bedside Report: The 5 W's That Can Put an Ache in Your Successful Nursing Career" e-books. 

In 2018, Mona felt the need to broaden the scope of what she could offer to students and the community, forming "The Nurses Pub” non-profit organization along with the global outreach campaign, "Future 100K Nurses," aiming to recruit 100,000 single mothers to the profession of nursing. Eventually, the campaign has expanded from passionate students and single mothers living in the United States to students in Africa, Asia, and the Philippines. 

Mona holds an Associate of Science degree in nursing from Los Angeles Southwest College and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Phoenix. In 2016, Mona earned a Master’s in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University. Mona is currently a student at the Pepperdine University Key President MBA program.

Nurse Mona has earned a number of awards for her work in the nursing community, including "Nurse of the Year" for the Los Angeles County Healthcare System; the "Mayor's Recognition Award"; "Mayor's Commendation Recognition Award"; and the "National Super Phoenix Award" from the University of Phoenix Organization. 

Mona was also a Finalist for the “Health Care Leadership Award” from the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the "Distinguished Alumni Award" for University of Phoenix Southern California (One of 12 selected out of 92,000) in 2017 and in 2018. She was also nominated for the "Leadership Impact Award," the (Top 3) alumni from University of Phoenix Southern California and the "Love Inspiration of the Year Award.”

Mona currently works full time as Executive Director and Founder at The Nurses Pub; the non-profit she founded to support students interested in the nursing pathway. She also spearheads The Nurses Pub Club After School program, assisting high school students within the Los Angeles School District to excel in academics as future nurses and uses her influence to inspire nurses and students at various career events, seminars and workshops.

Mona's ultimate desire is to become a global resource for students seeking nursing careers, and ultimately to cure the global nursing shortage.