Nurse Points To Education As Key To Career In North Texas
Amy Carroll is the manager of Women's Services for Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, Texas. She speaks out about how education is fundamental in advancing a career in patient care.
Where do you work and what is your title?
"I am the manager of Women's Services for Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, Texas. I work under a director of Women's Services and assist in managing schedules, budgets, efficiency and productivity for our unit. Our unit encompasses labor and delivery, postpartum, well-newborn nursery and neonatal ICU. I help to manage the flow of patients as well as caregivers throughout our unit as our patient census and acuities change."
What kind of degree is required for this position?
"Most of the time, a bachelor's degree in nursing is required or preferred. At this time, I only have my associate's degree in nursing, which I received from Trinity Valley Community College in 1998. I am currently enrolled with Western Governor's University to complete my bachelor's degree in nursing leadership. I spent four years on my initial associate's degree and my bachelor's degree will take me approximately one more year. I have chosen Western Governor's University to complete my education for several reasons. It is a well-known Internet-based university with an excellent nursing education program. It is a self-paced, affordable program that allows you to tailor your curriculum to your life."
How has your education prepared you for this position and contributed to your overall success?
"Fifteen years of nursing experience has really prepared me the most for my current position as I manage our unit schedules and productivity, balancing between employee satisfaction and budget. Continuing my education with my bachelor's degree is assisting me with understanding leadership and business."
Do you have any advice for someone interested in pursuing a career in nursing?
"The biggest piece of advice I would give is to work on the bachelor's degree before you are in a position that you have to do it, and increase your other responsibilities at the same time. Over this last 15 years, I would have had plenty of time to finish. I was just never motivated enough. However, I would never trade my years of experience as a staff L&D nurse for anything. I really believe it is what inspires respect from my staff more than just a degree behind my name. They know that the decisions I make are always based in the best interest of our unit and our people."
Judy Serrano writes romantic thrillers at www.JudySerraon.com. She graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a BA in English. She is also a freelance writer for Examiner.com. She lives in Texas with her husband, four boys and five dogs.
