After 16 years working in both administrative support and frontline nursing positions at the Roudebush VA Medical Center, Natalie Woodson believes finding ways to make a difference in healthcare administration is her calling. The IU School of Nursing MSN Nursing Leadership in Health Systems track, she says, is not only the right fit for her but also a great way to reach her goals.
Woodson attended Ivy Tech before earning her bachelor's degree in nursing at Marian University in 2012. She was attracted to nursing's multiple career paths and the wide range of opportunities that exist in the nursing profession. In pursuing a master's degree, Woodson, who was recently promoted to assistant unit manager of the VA's Same-Day Surgery PACU, is convinced the advanced training will help her grow.
"The MSN program is helping me understand what nursing leadership should look like," says Woodson. "It's actually pretty empowering to be formally trained to identify needs, look at processes that need attention and then make recommendations."
The MSN program is helping me understand what nursing leadership should look like."
A project she's engaged in as part of her master's degree practicum is helping her do just that. Working under the direction of IU School of Nursing's Jennifer Embree, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CCNS, FAAN, and the nursing director of infection prevention at Eskenazi Health, Woodson is doing a microsystems assessment of the hospital's sterile processing department (SPD).
"I've been comparing the SPD to other departments and taking a close look at what the needs are so that I can make recommendations," says Woodson. "It's my assignment for school, but it's also something that I can take and use in my current role."
Committed to seeking out ways to improve existing processes, Woodson says her work so far in the master's program has been eye-opening in terms of more clearly defining the role of nurses in leading change.
"My ultimate goal is to work in quality improvement and process management," she says.