Joslyn Gebby is a full-time registered nurse and part-time model from Ohio, currently living in Florida. She originally wanted to be a physical therapy assistant but later changed her mind and considered nursing because she did not want to feel stuck in one specialty.
In college when she spoke to a school counselor about switching paths from physical therapy assistant to nursing, she was told that she “probably wouldn’t be able to do it” because of her GPA and the program’s difficulty. This discouraged her, but it did not stop her from becoming a nurse. At 23, she applied to a nursing program despite what her counselor told her, and she was accepted.
She started out as a travel, medical-surgical, telemetry nurse, working with patients who were recovering from knee, back and hip surgeries. Her telemetry nursing involved monitoring cardiac patients.
She has since transitioned to working in the emergency room with the goal of switching specialties. Joslyn takes pride in her service to others.
“A lot of people think all nurses do is take orders from doctors, so maybe our job isn’t that hard,” she says. “But the doctor is not looking at your patient all the time. It’s you that’s there. There’s a lot more to it than just taking orders.”
Nurses have an extremely important job to do, yet Joslyn says they are often underappreciated.
“Nurses are really underpaid, and it’s very disappointing,” Joslyn says. “You’re dealing with the most important thing in the world, which is life. We’re in charge of that life.”
She fondly remembers a patient she had who was battling cancer. When the patient needed to be transferred to hospice care and switch nurses, the patient’s daughter loved Joslyn so much and knew how much she connected with her mom that she requested that Joslyn would remain with her mom.
“That’s the part of nursing I love: being there for someone, comforting them, praying with them and letting them know I’m here,” she says.
Transitioning from a travel nurse to an emergency nurse has been challenging, but Joslyn reminds herself that it is a “short-term commitment for a long-term later,” as she hopes that her current role will help her learn about other specialties that she may consider switching to in the future.
That’s the part of nursing I love: being there for someone, comforting them, praying with them and letting them know I’m here.
Joslyn Gebby
Outside of nursing, Joslyn has been modeling part-time since she was 16.
“I enjoy it because it gives me an opportunity to travel and meet new people,” she says. “I love being in front of the camera. You’re free. You can express your different personalities. You can play dress-up.”
Over the years, Joslyn has had a variety of modeling jobs promoting different companies. She has modeled for Amazon, Cherokee Scrubs and multiple swimsuit companies.
“It’s fun to model in scrubs because I combine my nursing career and modeling career in one,” she says.
Joslyn has also been a ring girl for boxing events in Ohio. She has participated in the Miss America pageant as Miss Ohio and was awarded runner-up in both Miss Bikini USA and Miss International Bikini competitions. One of her greatest accomplishments so far is being able to walk the runway for Miami Swim Week, a week full of runway shows and promotional events for fashion companies.
Modeling gives Joslyn a lot of confidence, and she loves meeting other models and hearing their stories.
“In modeling, you get a lot of no’s more than yes’s, and you just have to keep telling yourself that even if you’re not the woman that someone is looking for, that’s OK,” Joslyn says. “Somebody else is looking for you. You don’t have to get a million yes’s. Don’t give up.”
Joslyn also has an eight-year-old daughter who she loves to spend time with.
“I’m a stepmom but I claim her as my own,” she says.
Her daughter entered her life about two years ago, and she always aims to keep building their relationship together.
Though it can be difficult at times, Joslyn tries to find a balance between her work life and her self-care. On days off, she prioritizes going to the gym, spending time with family, getting her nails and eyelashes done, journaling and going to church on Sundays. Her faith, as well as her family, is something that inspires her and keeps her going.
Recently, Joslyn has been learning more about real estate and wants to start investing. She also loves to travel and recently went to Italy and Turkey. She hopes to continue to live adventurously, do more modeling and grow her family.
For Joslyn, “she can be both” means that “you can do multiple things and be fulfilled by that. It’s OK to be a professional person but still have a sexy side. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Check out Joslyn’s page on Instagram.
