Persona for NEXus

Persona for Prospective User for
The Nursing Education Xchange at https://www.winnexus.org


Target Segment

The Nursing Education Xchange, NEXus, is seeking additional universities to join as members. Graduate program heads in the Schools of Nursing are the primary target audience for recruiting new members. These academic leaders are in the best position to advise their institution to move forward with NEXus.

What is NEXus?

NEXus is a collaboration among universities where nursing schools share online graduate courses for students. NEXus offers a shared catalog of course offerings. Institutions that send students to take courses save money by avoiding expenses like instructor salaries and course development costs. Universities that host visiting students gain extra tuition revenue and help fill seats in their classes.


Meet Jennifer Campbell


Persona Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash

References

AACN (n.d.). Data spotlight: PhDs at a glance in 2024. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/research-data-center/phd-data

AACN (2022, July 6). Data spotlight: Trends in nursing PhD programs. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/data-spotlight-trends-in-nursing-phd-programs

AACN (2025, June 25). Rounds with leadership: Monitoring trends in academic nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/rounds-with-leadership-monitoring-trends-in-academic-nursing

AARP Research (2022, January). Tech Trends Fact Sheet: 2022 Tech Trends and the 50-Plus: Top 10 Biggest Trends.
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Fry, R. (2024, September 16). Are you in the American middle class? Find out with our income calculator. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/16/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/

Greenway, M. & Acai, A. (2024, August 2). Academic leadership in nursing: A concept analysis. Nurse Education Today, Vol 141(106338). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026069172400248X

Hinchliffe, E. & Ajemian, N. (n.d.). Newsletter MPW Daily: Eileen Fisher zeroes in on the millennials and Gen Z shoppers who love ‘slow fashion’ and ‘quiet luxury’. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2024/11/19/eileen-fisher-zeroes-in-on-the-millennials-and-gen-z-shoppers-who-love-slow-fashion-and-quiet-luxury/#:~:text=She%20also%20realized%20how%20savvy%20consumers%20are,to%20make%20sure%20we%27re%20walking%20our%20talk.%E2%80%9D

Kakulla, Brittne. (2021, December 6). Tech trends and adults 50-plus. AARP Research. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00493.001

Kavilanz, P. (2023, January 21). Retailers are tripping over themselves for Millennial and Gen Z shoppers. But not this one. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/21/business/lands-end-gen-x-customers

Kumar, P. (2022, February 14). Understanding the different types of buyers in marketing. The MBA Institute. https://themba.institute/marketing-of-services/classification-of-buyers/#google_vignette

MarketingCharts. (2024, September 19). Preference for usually buying from the same brands vs. trying new ones among baby boomers and overall adults in the United States as of May 2024 [Graph]. Statista. https://www-statista-com.hanlib.idm.oclc.org/statistics/1497579/brand-loyalty-baby-boomers-vs-adults-united-states/

Mediagap.com. (2023, August 18). Understanding the Values of Baby Boomers. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/rounds-with-leadership-monitoring-trends-in-academic-nursing

Mulvanity, E. W. (2001). Generation X in the workplace: age diversity issues in project teams. Paper presented at Project Management Institute Annual Seminars & Symposium, Nashville, TN. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/generation-x-workplace-age-diversity-style-7904

NapoleonCat. (2025, July 1). Share of Facebook users in the United States as of June 2025, by age group and gender [Graph].  Statista. https://www-statista-com.hanlib.idm.oclc.org/statistics/187041/us-user-age-distribution-on-facebook/

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Statista. (2024, October 15). Share of internet users who access selected digital platforms in the United States 2024, by generation [Graph]. Statista. https://www-statista-com.hanlib.idm.oclc.org/statistics/1548800/digital-platform-usage-by-generation-us/

3 Replies to “Persona for NEXus”

  1. Hi Anne,

    I appreciated the way you’ve defined the persona for NEXus. It makes sense to focus on graduate program heads since they’re the key decision-makers in whether an institution joins. What stood out to me is how you tied the benefits of the program directly to what matters most to that audience: cost savings, revenue generation, and filling class seats. That’s exactly what Chapter 11 on content creation emphasizes which is framing the message around the persona’s motivations instead of just listing features.

    A suggestion would be to edit the graphic so that it does not display your entire desktop view just the graphic itself for a cleaner polished look.

  2. Hi Anne,

    It is clear you have a deep understanding of the persona of the target market. Your passion for this topic is palpable in your description. Jenn appears to come to life as a real person. The descriptions may be too specific. It is not immediately clear to me why her views on immigration are relevant. I need a little more explanation there. The size of the descriptions makes it challenging to read on a desktop computer. Maybe if it were saved and imported into a different view, it would be cleaner. NEXus looks to be an exciting organization that is really looking to made education in the nursing field more affordable and accessible for all. Great work! It is clear you have an understanding and passion for nurses education.

    Lonna

  3. Anne,
    This persona paints a really clear picture of Jennifer, she’s the type of academic leader who has three different email accounts open, two grant proposals in progress, and a loaf of sourdough proofing on the counter at the same time. I like how her profile captures not just her professional credentials, but also her human side—family, gardening, even the M&Ms habit. That balance makes her more than just “another director of a nursing program”; it makes her relatable.

    I can see why NEXus would target someone like Jennifer. She’s rational, financially cautious, and motivated by efficiency; so the value proposition of saving money on course development while expanding opportunities for students would hit home. But, knowing that she’s also deeply protective of tradition and student outcomes, I wonder if she might hesitate to adopt something that feels too “out of the box.”

    Question: What’s the most effective way to appeal to someone like Jennifer—lean on the financial/efficiency benefits, or emphasize how NEXus aligns with her values of mentorship and student success?
    In my healthcare career, I’ve always wanted to see those values highlighted by the company itself, but it seems that the financial/efficiency benefits outweigh everything in the long run. However, that could just be because it isn’t the Nursing side of healthcare that I have been a part of. They have always appreciated the education side of things more than every other profession in healthcare.

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