As a high school graduate in 2004, Rahkeem Francis was unsure of what he wanted for a career. A guidance counselor at his New York high school suggested finance, computers or health care as paths that would continue to be in demand. Francis chose to enlist in the U.S. Army as a medic.
“I knew good and well that I would probably get to deploy, and honestly I looked forward to it,” he said. Francis served in the Army for 12 years, beginning at Fort Lewis in Washington with a forward surgical team. About four years into his service, he enrolled in the Army’s school of aviation medicine to become a flight paramedic and then, while still on active duty, he earned his associate’s degree in nursing. After five combat deployments—a total of 60 months directly in support of the War on Terror—he decided his time in the service was over.
When he left the Army, Francis chose a field that is often high-stress and high-speed work: emergency nursing.
“I think the lack of predictability is what keeps me going,” Francis said. “You meet people on their worst days, and we have a choice to create a positive experience.”
He spent six years in the civilian air medical industry as a flight nurse, clinical base supervisor and then clinical education manager. Upon earning his MSN with a focus on critical care medicine, he began the transition from flight nursing to hospital nursing as a PRN.
“Once I stuck my foot in emergency nursing as a PRN, opportunities kept presenting themselves,” he said. Francis moved through assistant manager and manager positions prior to his current role as emergency department director at Jennie Stuart Health in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, a rural town of about 30,000.
“Being in the service instilled a deep sense of loyalty and service, and I think that informs my practice today: loyalty to my patients, loyalty to my coworkers, to my peers and the people I support,” Francis said. “And service to my community—it’s my responsibility to meet and accommodate the health care needs of this community.”
Francis found his way to ENA through the Trauma Nursing Core Course. He has since become a TNCC provider and is active in the Kentucky ENA Council, including serving on its education planning committee. Earlier this year, he was asked to represent Kentucky at the 2025 ENA Day on the Hill advocacy event.
“Next thing you know, workplace violence is blowing up, and one of my nurses gets attacked in the ED,” he said. “I decided this opportunity presented itself for a reason, and I’m going to leverage it.”
Away from the emergency department, he especially loves the time he spends with his four sons and one daughter, who range in age from 20 to 7 years old. He has spent many seasons coaching or cheering each of them from the sidelines of a basketball court or football field. He also gives himself a break by riding his motorcycle and hanging out with his goldendoodle, Cooper, who he said keeps him humble. Humility is something he stresses when he gives advice to other nurses.
“It’s a humbling profession. Some days you’ll laugh, some days you’ll cry. Some days you’re overwhelmed with joy, and some days you’re struck with grief,” he said. “Stay humble, stay hungry and continue to get smarter every day.”