Dallas Neonatal Nurse Manager Says Master's Degree Allows Her To Enjoy Joyful Options In Her Career
Lindsey Canon always wanted to help people and was drawn to the scientific side of medicine. To start on this path, Canon earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Texas at Austin.
Canon loves babies and during her rotation, she had an opportunity to work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Upon seeing the preemies, she was drawn to them and wanted to be there for them and their families. The semester before her graduation, she did a summer externship at St. David's Hospital in Austin and shadowed a nurse within the neonatal intensive care unit.
She applied for a 16-week nurse residency program to become a neonatal ICU nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.
"It was great to see the babies get better and go home. It is rewarding to know that I was a part of their care," said Canon.
Looking to broaden her nursing experiences, Canon transferred to the outpatient surgery department and became a supervisor.
Her manager, Julie Balluck, encouraged her to pursue a master's degree. Canon earned a Master's in Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.
She transferred back to the NICU unit at Presbyterian because she missed working with the babies and then applied for the nurse manager position at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth.
"The opportunities that are available while you are learning are wonderful. You get to see people who have real life experience. You get to do clinical hours and for me, I got to work with two different chief nursing officers at two different hospitals. This gave me the opportunity to see how different hospitals operate and their management style. You wouldn't get this experience just as a regular nurse. Working towards your master's exposes you to those experiences."
"It is a challenge," Canon said referring to going back to school to earn her master's.
"I worked full-time while I was in school, but now having a master's degree is basically a requirement if you want to be in hospital leadership. It isn't that hard but it does take time," said Canon.
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com