How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?

I believe I would enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua’s diverse culture because of the values and unique perspective I have gained as a nurse, the leadership, teamwork and communication skills I have developed being a nurse anesthetist, and the lessons I have learned from running. Being a nurse has shaped who I am today and who I would like to become in the future. My profession has instilled in me a sense of social and personal responsibility, which I would bring with me to Fuqua. I believe in building programs and seeking solutions that are good for the community as well as business. If accepted to Fuqua, I intend to participate in the Global Consulting Practicum, where the values developed in healthcare and the business skills gained at Fuqua will enable me to positively impact a developing country, alleviating poverty through business solutions.

I would be able to contribute to the health sector management program in a very unique way because I have an in-depth understanding of medical conditions and treatment options. Feedback from patients has helped me to better understand the patient perspective, and my knowledge of a hospital stay from admission to discharge would be valuable information to contribute in courses such as Health Care Operations and Provider Strategy. I have utilized many new technologies, drugs, and computer programs, and understand where advances have improved delivery of care and where further advances are needed. I would be an active participant in classroom discussions in courses such as Medical Device Commercialization, Biotechnology: Management of Drug Discovery, and Economics and Management of the Pharmaceutical Industry because of my first-hand experience with some of the products.

As a professional nurse anesthetist, surgeons and operating room nurses look to me for leadership and expertise not only in anesthesia management but also in critical situations such as cardiac arrest and massive blood loss. I am accustomed to making important decisions in the operating room that carry the potential for serious adverse consequences and affect postoperative outcomes. I am already a leader of consequence and would continue to be a leader of consequence at Fuqua. My leadership skills would serve me well in a student-led school such as Fuqua. I intend to lead the Healthcare Club as co-chair, and lead the Association for Women in Business as an admissions director.

I am a strong team player, which has been well-honed through experiences in the intensive care unit (ICU) and operating room (OR). In the ICU, the nursing staff functioned together as a team, assisting each other in providing nursing care, and using a multi-disciplinary team approach to provide the best care for critically ill patients. Teamwork is especially important for members of the anesthesia team, where each team member brings his or her own knowledge, skills, and experience to OR.

This team only works well together when there is trust, open communication, and a willingness to listen to the input from the other team members. Through my past experiences, I am confident that I would be a collaborative team member when working on classroom and club projects at Fuqua. My effective communication skills, which are evident through my involvement in teaching, would enable me to contribute to the Duke MBA community both inside and outside of the classroom. I began teaching student nurses while working as a surgical intensive care nurse and have continued to each as a nurse anesthetist, training student nurse anesthetists and medical students. I work with students at least twice a week, more often then most of my nurse anesthetist colleagues. Students enjoy working with me because I explain complicated concepts in a clear and concise manner. My effective communication style will facilitate team projects, and help me to emerge as a team leader at Fuqua.

Outside of nursing, athletics has always been a very big part of my life. I was captain of three varsity sports in high school, picked up running during my college years, and have since learned golf, tennis and snowboarding in my twenties.

What I cherish most about sports is being on a team. I ran my first marathon with a team. Every runner experiences lulls and highs when running 26.2 miles. I supported my teammates during their difficult stretches, helping to push them through and keep going. And my teammates supported me during a particularly difficult point at mile 21. But more important then that, I will never forget the camaraderie I developed with my fellow runners. I hope to be given the opportunity to become a member of Team Fuqua, supporting my fellow team members and building camaraderie that would last a lifetime.

Participating in long distance races requires planning, persistence, and perseverance. I have been able to apply these traits to my professional life, most notably during my nurse anesthesia residency, as learning to administer anesthesia takes years of training. The maturity I have gained and the lessons I have learned from running would help me to achieve academically and emerge as team leader at Duke.

I believe my personal values, healthcare industry knowledge, leadership ability, teamwork and communications skills would enhance the experience of other students at Duke University Fuqua School of Business. The wealth of knowledge I have from my experiences in nursing would greatly enhance the HSM program. Having a non-traditional business background brings a fresh perspective to classroom discussions and group projects. I look forward to contributing to and diversifying the experience of other Duke MBA students and am confident that I would gain as much from my classmates as they would from me.