Nurse of the Quarter: Social Media Influencer and Millionaire Entrepreneur

By April Rowe, RN 

As if becoming a registered nurse isn’t impressive enough! 28-year-old Stephanee Beggs, from California, became an unintentional social media influencer with almost 700,000 followers on TikTok and a multimillionaire entrepreneur. Her hard work landed her a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education List for 2023.

HOW ONE TIKTOK VIDEO CHANGED IT ALL

It all started in 2020 when Stephanee was studying for her National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) exam. Her preferred learning method is teaching herself the material, so she created a video explaining the differences between the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) and diabetes insipidus (DI) by reading the information aloud.

She thought her video could be helpful to other nurses who were also in the depths of studying. So, she decided to share her videos on the popular social media platform TikTok. The videos quickly went viral!

From social media influencer to CEO 

As her audience grew, nurses, nursing students, and other healthcare professionals messaged Stephanee asking if they could buy her notes. This planted the seed for her path to entrepreneurship.

What began as a side gig turned into a lucrative business—RNExplained—that has generated almost 2.5 million dollars. She sells study materials for over 300 medical conditions and nursing merchandise on Etsy

Hard work pays off 

A nurse to the core, Stephanee continues to work as an emergency department nurse in Los Angeles. But her passion doesn’t end there. Apart from her nursing job, she actively manages RNExplained with her aunt Lisa.

Follow Stephanee  
TikTok: @stephbegg 
Instagram: @stephaneebeggs 
Etsy Shop: RNExplained 
YouTube Channel: RNExplained

When you lose one of your family members, you see things a little differently. You treat people differently, and you have a lot more empathy for others.

Stephanee also dedicates hours every week to creating and editing her social media content, all while engaging with followers. “Being an influencer, it never stops. You always have to engage. The content that I write for my videos, it never ends. The emails, replying to direct messages, it’s truly 24/7,” said Stephanee.

Her passion for educating others in the field knows no bounds! Not only does she run a thriving business and work as a nurse, but you will also find her on the Mount Saint Mary’s University campus, where she continues to share her expertise as a nursing pharmacology professor. 

A passion for nursing, health, and science

Initially, she obtained a degree in business marketing, but Stephanee explained, “I always wanted to do something in science. I love learning, and I love health and science. It piqued my interest and led me into nursing.”

But Stephanee’s journey to becoming a nurse was marked by a poignant moment when her mother, Becki Beggs, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Witnessing her mother’s fight and eventual passing in 2019 left a lasting impact on Stephanee and helped to mold her into the compassionate and empathetic nurse she is today. “When you lose one of your family members, you see things a little differently. You treat people differently, and you have a lot more empathy for others,” added Stephanee.

Her favorite aspect about being a nurse is “the satisfaction of literally saving a patient’s life. That’s what I love the most: Interacting and critically thinking to save lives.” From her business side of nursing, what inspires Stephanee is the “feedback I get from students, or new grads, saying that I have helped them pass their board or get through nursing school. That feedback is so rewarding for me.”

Stephanee knows all too well how emotionally taxing nursing can be. She admits it can be difficult to leave the trauma and stress at work and not bring it home. To help her cope, she works out with a trainer four to five times a week, which she considers to be her “saving grace.”

Helping to create a positive nursing culture

 A firm believer in creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere, Stephanee takes pride in being approachable to anyone with questions. Her dedication to promoting a nurturing environment for new grad nurses is evident in her unwavering advocacy against workplace bullying and mistreatment. She stressed, “Nurses should not be eating their young. We have to collaborate together in order to do anything, to communicate within the hospital, or literally to save a person’s life. So why are we knocking each other down?”

Like many new grad nurses, Stephanee struggled with workplace bullying. She recalled, “It took me a while as a new grad to find my voice. You have to not take things personally, but you can also stick up for yourself.” She continues to emulate positivity in the workplace and helps spread the word on social media to prevent nurse-on-nurse bullying. 

She’s a powerhouse, a go-getter, a role model, and a kind and caring educator. She has defied the limits, taken one small unsuspecting idea, and turned it into a business worth millions. Stephanee’s proving that the sky's the limit for nurses with big dreams.