Dr. Vicky McGrath, MBA, RN, is a health care professional who has always had her eyes trained on the big picture. Throughout her career, she has been on the search for new ways to help people, be it patients or students, and champion her profession.
For nearly four decades she’s excelled as a nurse, nurse manager, director of a renowned cancer center and, since 2022, as an assistant professor at the Baker University School of Nursing. At each post, she’s tackled her role with professionalism and proficiency, making her a valuable asset at Baker and in the Stormont Vail Health System.
So, it was no surprise that when McGrath applied to review abstracts submitted for presentation at the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference and the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference, she was one of a few nurse educators accepted for the role and one of the few chosen from more than 300 applicants. The ANCC event is one of the largest annual nursing conferences, with 4,000 to 5,000 attendees.
“It is an honor from the American Nursing Association, as these are top quality conferences in nursing, and you have to submit your vitae/resume for selection,” said Libby Rosen, PhD, RN, dean of the School of Nursing. “They felt that she is highly qualified among many national-level nurses.”
Opportunity to Give Back
McGrath said, “I was honored [to be selected]. It’s quite humbling. I was just interested in doing something to give back. My expertise is in quality improvement and evidence-based practice. To help guide new, innovative ideas to help our new nurses on the front line is very rewarding.”
McGrath spent roughly 10 hours reviewing about 30 abstracts from nurses seeking opportunities to present ideas and strategies at the ANCC conferences, which are scheduled for October in Atlanta. Reviews are judged on criteria that reward according to a point system. She also was asked to give feedback on whether an abstract was worthy of being considered for a podium presentation or a poster presentation.
“I read each abstract twice,” McGrath said. “It’s about showcasing what you’re doing and presenting it so other organizations can do something with it.”
From Floor Nurse to the Classroom
A lifelong Topekan, McGrath began her nursing career in 1998, predominantly in an ambulatory setting. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Washburn University in 1998 and went on to manage nurses in oncology units at Stormont Vail. In 2009, she became director of the Cotton O’Neil Cancer Center at Stormont Vail and held that position for nearly 16 years, until 2022, when she decided to engage another of her lifelong passions.
“My long-term goal was always to teach,” she said. “I felt this was a good time to transition.”
McGrath teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs at Baker’s School of Nursing. She teaches research evidence practice, informatics, and leadership in nursing to undergrads and teaches in the nursing administration track in the Master of Science in Nursing program—all while working one day a week as a PRN nurse in the cancer center.
Combining Health Care Excellence with Business Leadership
Soon after beginning her tenure as director of the Cotton O’Neil Cancer Center, McGrath began coursework for a Master of Business Administration. She was able to work on her MBA while staying in Topeka through Baker’s School of Professional and Graduate Studies, which had a campus in Topeka at the time. She completed her degree in 2009. And while business and nursing might appear to be a strange combination on the surface, McGrath said the education she received was instrumental in her work as director and later as an assistant professor.
“When I moved from being a nurse manager to director, I felt I really needed that [business] background in order to do my job well,” she said. “I ran a cancer center with a multimillion-dollar budget, and I feel my degree from Baker allowed me to better do my job there. It gave me a good, solid foundation in strategic planning, operations, and budgeting, things that allowed me to do my job well. I knew getting an MBA would give me the flexibility to do something else if I wanted, but also a solid foundation to go into the role I was going into.”
McGrath said the education and knowledge she gained through her MBA program at Baker also helped greatly with her ability to judge the abstracts for the ANCC conference, an activity she would like to return to.
“I know I’ll apply [to review abstracts] again next year,” she said. “I enjoy the fact that, not only is it increasing my knowledge, but it also gives me knowledge I can bring back to the classroom.”
