Student Profile: Jonathan Ringer

Headshot of male student.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, pediatric primary care nurse practitioner Jonathan Ringer ’16 ’18, earned his Masters of Science from Columbia Nursing after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and Community Health from Tufts University, and then working for a large non-for-profit healthcare organization in Boston. His interest in helping patients holistically as well as medically drew him to the school. “Columbia’s program taught me how to look at healthcare outside of the box,” Ringer says. Admired for his active involvement on campus, he was a peer mentor, peer leader, executive board member of the Columbia Black Student Nurses student organization, and a member of the Columbia Men in Nursing student organization. He is practicing pediatric primary care in Long Island, New York. 


Jonathan is a Males in Nursing Scholar.

Why did you decide to pursue nursing and why did you choose Columbia Nursing?

I’ve always wanted a career in healthcare and nursing appealed to me. Columbia Nursing’s educational philosophy and the way it prepares nurses fit my personality and career goals, which include a passion for primary care and academia.

What did you gain from your education at Columbia Nursing?

Columbia Nursing taught me how to help patients not just clinically but also holistically. It taught me leadership; to influence change by being the change I want to see. My academic and clinical experiences also taught me that there are always new and exciting things to learn that will make me a better care provider.

What are you passionate about, and how has being a student at Columbia Nursing allowed you to follow that passion?

I am passionate about pediatric primary care and caring for patients using a holistic framework. Children need quality and comprehensive care so they can grow into healthy, thriving adults.

What’s the next step in your career?

My goals include continuing to learn all I can about private practice and eventually having my own. I hope to teach future generations of nurses, both in clinical and academic settings.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time at Columbia Nursing?

Many of my fondest memories involve the Peer Mentorship Program. Through this program I received the guidance and nurturing I needed as a new student, as well as the opportunity to give back to the students who followed me.

Read more 2018 graduate profiles.