Even on the busiest days, Tania Jones makes time to chat with her team of nurses. She believes the greatest quality a leader can have is caring about others.
“I love mentoring all my employees. I feel like I am a poster child for happiness and I encourage everyone to pursue their passion,” said Jones, nurse manager for two progressive care units at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in San Diego. In pursuing her own, Jones earned a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree online from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2013. After nine years as a bedside nurse, Jones knew it was time to step up her game.
“The whole push to get a BSN was a necessity,” she said, “especially because I wanted to climb the ladder.”
Without skipping a beat, Jones enrolled in UTA’s Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration online and graduated in 2015.
She began seeing the fruits of her labor shortly after. “About a year after getting my master’s degree, I was promoted to manager.”
Long-Distance Learning
Jones knew she would need to think outside the box if she wanted to be successful in pursuing her education.
“I had a 2-year-old child. Managing full-time work and childcare was not practical with an in-person class,” Jones said. “I knew I was going to have to go online.”
Even when doubling up on classes in the RN to BSN program, Jones aced her courses. “It was a little tough, but definitely doable,” she added.
The best part, Jones says, was the affordability. Her hospital is Magnet Recognized and offers a tuition reimbursement plan, which meant she could afford to pay cash for her portion of the cost.
“UTA’s tuition is very reasonable,” she said. “They are one of the lower cost online programs I have seen.”
These benefits led Jones to return for the MSN degree, which ended up advancing her to management.
Leading With Grace
Jones’ first priority as a manager was to cultivate a positive working environment in her two units. She manages a step down unit with ventilators and an innovations telemetry progressive care unit. Between the two departments, she manages over 100 employees.
“My favorite thing about coming into leadership was changing it,” she said. “I did not want to be a part of a status quo that wasn’t cutting it in nursing anymore.”
Her availability to her staff and her open-door policy are her keys to successful leadership in a fast-paced environment.
“I’m very proud of the leader I have become, and I owe that to the education and experiences I have been through,” explained Jones who feels inspired to pay it forward.
“I always push my nurses to keep going and reach their highest potential too.”
Real-World Application
Jones credits her success in the field of nursing to her online education. Even when times are tough, she falls back on the lessons she has learned.
“It is easy to feel burned out. I experienced that in my first year. I definitely overextended myself trying to please everybody,” said Jones. “But I learned from the master’s program that I had to set limits.
“In one of my classes, faculty interviewed chief nursing officers and directors, asking them, ‘How do you decompress and keep your sanity?’ And they responded by saying it is important to log off.'”
Words that Jones lives by today.
“I plan ahead the days I can come in early and the days I will stay late. By managing my schedule, I give myself time to relax, and I am able to interact with both day shift and night shift.”
Taste of Texas
Tania with her husband, Carlton, and their daughters, Cierra and Tahlia
When Jones and her sister flew in from California to attend her BSN graduation, they experienced a touch of Southern hospitality.
“Everybody was very friendly. I remember trying to find parking, and I hadn’t realized there were parking meters so I didn’t have any change. Somebody just offered to pay for me,” said Jones. “That was very sweet.”
The California gals commemorated Jones’ achievement with real Texas barbecue. Yee-haw.
The Long Run
Jones is happy she took that first step to further her education. Both the BSN and MSN degrees have broadened the scope of her nursing and elevated her position.
She may not be done yet.
“I have been playing with the idea that I might want to go back and get a Doctor of Nursing Practice online,” she said. “I can definitely see myself going into the DNP program down the line when my kids get older.”
For now, she is content being a manager and values the power of voice her job gives her.
“I am in this work for a reason. I always say ‘If you are passionate about something, you should pursue it.’ That’s why I continued my education because I am definitely passionate about being a leader and making a difference.”
Learn more about UTA’s RN to BSN and MSN in Nursing Administration online programs.
