Nadia J. Parkinson
Nadia is a dynamic, creativity-driven professional and Patient Safety Manager at Walmart Central Fill Pharmacy in Litchfield Park, Arizona. With a career spanning education, hospitality, aviation, customer service, and pharmacy operations, she brings a diverse background centered on adaptability, leadership, and people-first service. Before entering pharmacy, she spent a decade as a classroom teacher in Jamaica, an experience that continues to shape her approach to mentoring, training, and developing others. In her current role within Walmart’s pharmacy operations, Nadia oversees patient safety where she influences operational excellence in a high-volume central fill environment. She leads teams focused on ensuring adherence to standard operational procedures, reducing risk, and maintaining a strong safety culture that supports both patients and associates. Her work builds on the years of entering Walmart’s Health and Wellness spectrum at Walmart Specialty Pharmacy in Orlando FL, where she supported the patient care service of delivering critical medications nationwide, including life-saving therapies. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Nadia is passionate about mentorship and personal development, serving as both a mentor to emerging leaders and mentee while actively engaging in community service initiatives such as food banks and rescue missions. She is known for her reflective leadership style, commitment to growth, and belief in creating environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
• Google AI
• AI for Brainstorming and Planning
• Customer Service Foundations
• Six Sigma Principle: Yellow Belt
• Pharmacy Technician University- C.Ph.T.
• Shortwood Teacher's College
• Employee of the Quarter
• Walmart Thrive ZP Lifestyle Winner
• Certificate of Award for Community Service
• Women Resource Community
• Second Harvest Food Bank
• Orlando Union Rescue Mission
• Breast Cancer Support Packages
• Jamaica Intensive Reading Clinic
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people around me. My family especially my grandmother who grounded me, the leaders who invested in me, and the teams I have had the privilege to lead. At the end of it, when they thrive, especially for me as a manager, when that team wins, I'm going to win.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Growth doesn’t sometimes happen in the familiar, it happens when you stretch, take risks and bet on yourself.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best advice I would give a young woman is to give yourself the permission to evolve. Every chapter, every challenge, every pivot that we do, that is what is going to shape you as the woman that you want to become. It's just a matter of giving yourself the permission to do and to say, and be even in the unknown. Your path doesn't really have to be linear, especially in health and wellness where it's such a broad spectrum. There are endless opportunities, and if you put in 100, you're gonna get 100. If you try something and it doesn't work for you, it is okay, because you can still move into something else, and you're not moving backward, you're moving forward.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The health and wellness field is rapidly evolving, creating significant opportunities as central fill automation transforms pharmacy operations and allows pharmacists to focus more on direct patient care. At the same time, it introduces the challenge of managing high-volume, high-impact systems that require strong patient safety measures and continuous improvement to ensure accuracy and reliability.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that matters most both in work and in my personal life are integrity, growth and people. I believe in doing what’s right even when no one is watching, staying committed to learning, evolving and investing in the people around me. Whether I'm leading a team, mentoring emerging leaders or showing up for my family, I try to create environments where trust, transparency and growth can strive.
Locations
Walmart Central Fill
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340