Influential Woman · Nursing Administration

Audrey Patterson

Senior Administrator on Duty, UPMC

Pittsburgh, PA

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Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Nursing Degree Degree Bachelor's Degree Degree Master's Degree in Business and Administration Leadership Cert Registered Nurse Cert Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Her Story

About Audrey

I have been a nurse for 22 years, and all of my career has been with UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. I've done different jobs within the company, but most of my background is in emergency medicine. I spent 17 of my 22 years as an emergency room charge nurse, including during the height of COVID. Currently, I am a senior administrator on duty at UPMC McGee Women's Hospital, where I work steady nighttime 12-hour shifts. In this role, I oversee 14 different units and am responsible for staffing decisions, coordinating with our sister hospital UPMC Presby on patient transfers, meeting with ICU teams about critical care beds, conducting safety rounds in labor suites, and serving as the leader of the whole hospital during my shift. I'm also a sexual assault nurse examiner. My journey to nursing started when my biology teacher, Ms. Rager, saw me dissect something and told me I looked like a surgeon and should consider the medical field. I was the first in my whole family to go to college. I shadowed a doctor first but realized I wanted to spend more time with patients, not just 5 minutes. When I shadowed a nurse, I knew that was it. I was able to get a full ride to nursing school because of my grades in high school, my letters of recommendation, and my test score. I finished my nursing degree in 2 years and became a nurse at age 20. After my years in the emergency room, particularly after COVID, I moved to employee health doing physicals and vaccine clinics for new hires. One of our environmental services workers told me that if I didn't like how something was run, I should get the education I needed and make the difference myself. So I went and got my bachelor's degree, and then my master's degree in business and administration leadership. I took a job as administrator on duty at UPMC Passivant, but when a job opened back up at McGee as the nighttime administrator on duty, I went back to where I had spent 20-plus years of my career.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Audrey

01What do you attribute your success to?

I believe it's the support and the people at McGee. It is almost like a family there. It's true what they say - the grass isn't always greener. It took me leaving to realize that, and I was only gone a year. When that job opened up, even though it was a lateral move, I wanted to go back to where I started my career. I believe it's the people that are very supportive of each other. You make bonds with the night shift people, especially when you are an administrator, because they have to trust in you and you have to trust in them. When you're working nights, you are it - you're the leader of the whole hospital for that 12 and a half hours that you step in that hospital. You are who everyone goes to for whatever goes wrong. So they have to trust you, and building relationships with them, they keep you going. I've truly been blessed with a lot of wonderful mentors that help shape you into who you are now and why you do what you do.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

One of our environmental services workers, one of our janitors, said to me: if you don't like how something's run, get the education you need and you make the difference. That advice really stuck with me. After working in the emergency room and seeing things during COVID, I realized I wanted to make changes. So I went and got my bachelor's degree, and then I got my master's degree in business and administration leadership. That advice pushed me to pursue the education I needed to move into leadership and be able to make the difference I wanted to see.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

There is going to be a shortage when people retire. We need to get newer people in and inspire more people to become nurses. I want to help the younger generation see nursing as an avenue they want to take. I didn't become a nurse because my family were all nurses - I was the first in my family to go to college. I became a nurse because I wanted to help people. I had very good mentors on that journey, and there were also some that weren't so great, but then you knew what you didn't want to be like when you had a mentor like that.

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