Randi Taylor was already a certified nursing assistant when she enrolled at the 小蝌蚪APP more than a decade ago, intent on earning her B.S. in Nursing to become an RN.
But Taylor soon realized bedside nursing wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 the right fit. She changed her major to Health Services Administration 小蝌蚪APP a fully online bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree program 小蝌蚪APP and her path was set.
Through Health Services Administration, Taylor was able to stay within the College of Nursing & Health Sciences to complete her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree while exploring the technology, management, and policy making side of healthcare.
"It really worked for me since I was already a single parent and working, so I could better fit everything in my schedule. I really liked that,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淓verything I learned in HSA 小蝌蚪APP health care collaboration, finance in healthcare, communication styles, leadership 小蝌蚪APP just became more detailed as I got higher up into my education.小蝌蚪APP
Now 32, Taylor is hitting new professional and academic milestones, stepping into a new role as research program manager at Houston Methodist and earning a Doctor of Healthcare Administration.
Learning Online, Not Alone
Mastering course concepts was only half the battle for Taylor as she worked to earn her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree. She also had to find a way to balance working, parenting, and community involvement.
小蝌蚪APP淚 had so much going on,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 got involved on campus, I joined a sorority, so I was pretty busy. I always tried to work really hard, but I also had the support of my family and time management skills. I would always work on what was most important or what had the earliest deadline first. And I would use a lot of agendas and notes to remind me of all of my commitments.小蝌蚪APP
Taylor was also able to lean on others in the program, building relationships that have continued beyond the online classroom.
小蝌蚪APP淚 still have two good friends that also graduated from the HSA program,小蝌蚪APP Taylor says. 小蝌蚪APP淲e've kept in touch, so even though I haven't seen them since graduation, in 2017, we've remained close friends and supported each other as we move forward in our careers.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Rachel Ellison, associate professor and Health Services Administration program coordinator, also became a mentor and guide for Taylor, helping her identify internship opportunities and the importance of networking.
小蝌蚪APP淒r. Ellison assigned us to make a LinkedIn profile, which has really helped me grow, network and meet the right people to help me gain the experience that I have,小蝌蚪APP says Taylor. 小蝌蚪APP淚 was able to get my first job at MD Anderson through LinkedIn, and I wouldn't have had LinkedIn if it wasn't for Dr. Ellison. I'm grateful to her for that.小蝌蚪APP
Working in Healthcare Administration
Taylor moved to Houston during her last semester of courses to pursue an internship with Sky High for Kids, which 小蝌蚪APP渟upports children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening conditions.小蝌蚪APP
Leveraging her internship experience along with the communication, critical thinking, research, and analytical skills built through the B.S. in Health Services Administration program, Taylor later joined MD Anderson Cancer Center as a research data coordinator.
As she pursued her master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree and eventually her doctorate, Taylor continued moving forward in her career as a clinical research program coordinator before moving to Houston Methodist as a regulatory compliance specialist and now research program manager.
In her role, Taylor oversees several internal processes and tracks time to activation of oncology trials. She also oversees a team of regulatory compliance specialists.
For those just starting out or considering a degree in health services administration, Taylor says don小蝌蚪APP檛 underestimate the power of connection.
"I would definitely recommend going to UL Lafayette not just for the academics, but also for the social aspect,小蝌蚪APP says Taylor. 小蝌蚪APP淚 think it's very important to get involved, whether it's a sorority, fraternity, clubs just to get involved on campus, get involved in your community. Network through LinkedIn or through professional organizations to meet other people, so you can get connected and access that first opportunity. You have a lot of resources and organizations to facilitate that growth.小蝌蚪APP
Develop the skills to lead in health care. Learn more about the online bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 in Health Services Administration today.