From Africa to Dover, Bayhealth nurse pursues her passion

From Cameroon, West Africa, to Dover, Bayhealth nursing informatics analyst Connie Ajah-Ayang, MSN, RN, had a vision for her life, but she found a new path in nursing.

After immigrating to the U.S. almost 20 years ago, Ajah-Ayang found her passion in healthcare. Now she’s part of a team that works hard to improve patient care, the patient experience, nursing workflows and much more through the use of technology. And she’s doing it all while inspiring others.

Ajah-Ayang’s story is part of a series presented by Bayhealth called Black Excellence That Inspires. These personal tales spotlight team members and celebrate Black History Month, and a collection of them will be shared on Bayhealth’s social media pages.

Ajah-Ayang grew up in Africa in a family of nine. Her parents worked to keep the family grounded and made sacrifices to give their children the best possible education. She attended a Christian boarding school and discovered a deep passion for studying law. It truly mattered to Ajah-Ayang to have an awareness of the climate in politics – she was hooked.

She was inspired by a Cameroonian female chief justice – the highest rank in the Cameroonian court system – to become a lawyer. Ajah-Ayang completed a challenging program at a French-speaking university where she learned in both English and French.

When she set her sights on moving to the United States, she had mentors who guided her into the nursing profession, as it is a strong and stable career choice, she said. Ajah-Ayang embraced the new adventure with a positive outlook. She said her late father lived by the mantra, “Whatever you do in life, what truly matters is that you do it well.”

Ajah-Ayang recalls the early years in her healthcare career. “My experiences brought out a humanity from within that I didn’t realize I had,” she said. After a particularly impactful experience with a patient, she knew from that moment on that it was a passion and a responsibility to care for patients. “I have to take care of patients by treating them like family,” she said.

She’s intentional about how she impacts people’s lives. “Any interaction I have with someone, I aim to uplift them in some way,” she said. And her passion for people extends beyond Bayhealth’s walls. Ajah-Ayang is an active member of the Caregivers Support Foundation, providing family caregivers with support and tools to care for and advocate for their loved ones.

Inspiring others drives Ajah-Ayang. She wants to inspire joyfulness, passion and excellence in others, especially in her beloved peers and patients. “Being excellent doesn’t take perfection,” she said. After all, no one is perfect. “Excellence is doing the right thing, owning our mistakes, and making sure we learn from them and learn from each other.”

The Bayhealth team is proud to honor and share Ajah-Ayang’s story during Black History Month.

To find out about being a part of a team that respects and values each member, go to Bayhealth.org/Careers.