Today, October 20, marks the day that TLU DEMSN grad Kolton Barber gets to see a dream officially become a reality.
The spark of the idea came to him because, frankly, he understands firsthand how demanding—and exhausting—it can be to work in the healthcare field. As an ICU nurse, he has dealt with the long shifts, mental fatigue, and irregular sleep schedules that the job requires—as well as the need to fully recover before doing it all over again when the next shift comes around. “I started thinking about how little support is specifically designed around the realities of shift workers,” the 2025 grad says. “That idea became OnCall Supplements.”
But it’s quite a leap from an idea to its fruition—one that requires time, energy, and a lot of faith. Barber started building his company from the ground up in the time he had. The result: He created a supplement designed specifically for nurses, healthcare professionals, first responders, and others who work demanding schedules. “Our first products, WAKE and SLEEP, are designed to support energy and focus during the day and complement relaxation and recovery afterward.”
But the supplements themselves are only the beginning. The true mission is much broader. “Ultimately, I want OnCall to be about more than supplements. I want to help the people who spend their days taking care of others be more intentional about taking care of themselves, too.”
Barber completed his Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) degree on TLU’s New Braunfels campus, interning at Resolute Baptist Hospital. “The program was a major part of my journey into nursing and helped prepare me for the challenges of critical care,” he says.
And while mastering the many ins and outs of nursing from classrooms to clinicals, he learned a lesson he’ll never forget. “One of the biggest lessons I learned was how important it is to look beyond the numbers and see the person behind the patient,” he says. “In the ICU, it’s easy to get caught up in labs, hemodynamics, medications, and managing complex conditions. Those things are critical, but it’s just as important to remember that you’re caring for a person and a family going through one of the hardest experiences of their lives. That perspective has stayed with me throughout my nursing career.”
The Intensive Care Unit is one of the most high-pressure environments in any hospital, and Barber says working as a nurse there is challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. “You’re constantly making decisions, managing competing priorities, and caring for patients who can deteriorate quickly. You have to stay focused even when the pressure is high.” But on the flip side, he adds, the work can be incredibly rewarding. ICU nurses make a difference for patients and their families during some of the toughest moments of their lives.
These days, Barber is happy to be doing this work in the place he calls home. “After graduating from TLU, I accepted an ICU nursing position in my home state of Utah, which allowed me to continue growing as a nurse while returning home. Being part of a team that helps patients recover from critical illness is incredibly meaningful.”
He says he’d wholeheartedly recommend TLU’s DEMSN program to up-and-coming nurses. “The program gave me the opportunity to pursue nursing through an accelerated pathway while building the foundation I needed to enter a demanding field. Nursing requires adaptability, critical thinking, and a willingness to keep learning, and my experience at TLU helped prepare me for that. I’m grateful for the education and experiences that helped me get to where I am today.”
