Her Story
About Angela
I am a registered nurse and nursing educator currently teaching at American National University, where I've been for about six months. I specialize in critical care and teach pathophysiology, health assessment, and medical-surgical nursing, particularly MedSurg 3, which is my specialty because it's critical care. What drew me to ANU is their very innovative program - it's all online except for clinical, with very small classes of no more than 10 students. We teach through Zoom from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. The students get a full-size mannequin, they have virtual reality simulations with VR goggles, and it's just an amazing concept. Two students go into a virtual reality room with me at a time, and it's like having a live patient in there - it is the coolest thing ever. Before this, I was teaching nursing with Herzing University. My journey into nursing was unexpected - I was originally going to law school when I got sick and was in the hospital for months. I had to learn how to walk, talk, and write all over again, and it took one nurse to sit with me, and the passion that she showed me made me drop out and tell my husband I'm going to nursing school instead. I have my Bachelor's from Tennessee State University and my Master's in Leadership and Management from Wilkes University, and I'm currently working on my DNP in Education, which I'll complete in April 2028. Throughout my career, I've held leadership positions - right off the bat after nursing school, after being off orientation for just a week in an ICU, they asked me to be charge nurse. I've even been the chief nursing officer of an entire hospital. But I never thought I would say this - education is my passion. I want to teach nurses to be the best nurses that they can be. That's why I still teach clinical, because I do miss dealing with patients.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Angela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I put myself in other people's perspective. I don't put myself above anyone - when I was working in hospitals, even if I had a homeless patient, I treated them with the same respect that I would treat Donald Trump. That approach has really worked for me throughout my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Always take accountability for your actions. It takes a lot of commitment to deal with what nurses have to deal with on a daily basis. Accountability is a big one - you have to have a good foundation and leadership.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Hang in there. It's going to be rough, it's going to be tough, it's going to be emotional. But hang in there. You can make it. My story is a little different because when I ask my students what brought them to nursing, they always say to have a job and make money. Well, my story's a little different - I wanted to give back.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Corporate is a big challenge - even if that gets me in trouble, corporate is a big challenge. Dealing with patients on the worst day of their lives has been challenging and life-changing. It makes you appreciate life a lot more.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Accountability is a big one. You have to have a good foundation, and leadership is very important to me as well.
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