Her Story
About Ebone
Ebone’ Shelbia-Jones is a nurse educator, mentor, and healthcare leader whose career reflects resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to professional development. She began her journey in healthcare in New Orleans, Louisiana, through a high school bridge program that allowed her to graduate with both her diploma and Certified Nursing Assistant certification. That early opportunity provided a pathway into healthcare while equipping her with practical experience and financial stability at a young age. Determined to continue advancing, she pursued her Licensed Vocational Nurse certification through a partnership between St. Margaret’s Daughters nursing home and Delgado Community College. When Hurricane Katrina displaced her graduating class just before completion, Shelbia-Jones remained steadfast, commuting hours each day to finish the program and earning recognition from her classmates as “Most Spirited” at graduation.
After beginning her nursing career as a charge nurse on a Medicare unit, Shelbia-Jones earned her associate’s degree from Wharton County Junior College and went on to spend more than eight years in intensive care nursing at Kindred Hospital Sugar Land, where she strengthened her clinical expertise and leadership skills. She later joined Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, quickly distinguishing herself in the hospital’s fast-paced observation unit. Within months, she was recognized among the top 150 nurses in Houston and led a successful Kaizen process-improvement initiative that reduced MRI wait times from 24 hours to just 8 hours, significantly improving patient care and operational efficiency. Her leadership and dedication helped her become the first nurse on her unit to achieve the RN3 advancement level under her manager’s leadership.
Today, Shelbia-Jones serves as the coordinator of the nurse residency program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land, where she focuses on nursing professional development and building pathways for individuals seeking meaningful careers in healthcare. She earned her master’s degree in Nursing Education from Western Governors University in 2023 and achieved board certification in Nursing Professional Development on her first attempt. Known for her collaborative leadership style and passion for mentorship, she is committed to creating psychologically safe learning environments where nurses and healthcare professionals can grow with confidence. Through her work in education, process improvement, and community partnership-building, Shelbia-Jones continues to champion accessible opportunities, lifelong learning, and compassionate leadership within healthcare.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ebone
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to an internal motivator to be an example. I want to be an example for my children, an example for my family, and an example for the girls in the community, especially those who may be teen moms like I was. I want to show them that life will throw you curveballs all the time, but you have to be willing to say there is a better way to do this, and I'm going to be the one to do it. Don't let your circumstances stop you. I graduated as a teen mom from high school, and I've broken a lot of generational curses in my family. Now my daughter, who just graduated on Saturday, wants to be a nurse like me. That's what keeps me going - knowing that I'm setting the stage for the next generation and showing young women in the community that they can overcome any obstacle and create a better trajectory for their families.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received came from my Grandfather who told me that nothing beats a made-up mind. Be determined. Stay persistent. Stay the course. If your mind is made up that you're going to do something or not do something, it takes a lot to change it. This advice has carried me through every challenge in my career, from driving two hours each way to finish my LVN program after Hurricane Katrina to pursuing my master's degree while working full-time. My pawpaw taught me that when you commit to something with your whole heart and mind, you can overcome any obstacle. That determination and persistence is what has shaped my entire journey in nursing.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my pawpaw, who always said, “Nothing beats a made-up mind,” reminding me to stay determined, persistent, and committed to the course I choose.
The answer to a question that is never asked will always be no..
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to never let your circumstances define your future—no matter the challenges you face, pursue education and training, stay teachable, and build strong partnerships that will help you grow personally and professionally. Give yourself grace and extend grace to others.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are lifelong learning, collaboration, and building meaningful relationships. I'm a people person - I love talking to people and learning from them and their stories, then applying that to being relatable. I believe in creating psychologically safe spaces where people feel comfortable learning and growing. Traveling is one of my passions because it feeds my natural curiosity and helps me understand why things are the way they are. Even being a tourist in my own city helps me learn the stories behind how things became what they are today. I always want to know the why behind everything - why is it like this, how did it become this way, what was the driving force behind a decision. That inquisitive nature drives both my personal interests and my professional approach. As an adult learner myself, I understand that we need to know the why, and when I can feed that natural curiosity in my team members and the people I work with, we get better cooperation and outcomes. Building partnerships, being a collaborator, and creating bridges for people in the community - these are the values that shape everything I do.
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