Nurse proves ‘life happens’ but education prevails
Nataysha Addison had just completed a Licensed Practical Nurse program and was planning to specialize in labor and delivery when the grandmother who raised her was diagnosed with cancer. After helping guide her grandmother through her cancer treatment, Addison changed her mind about labor and delivery.
“I wanted to be like the people who helped my grandmother through her journey,” she said. “It’s a difficult journey. You need someone who is going to understand and empathize with you. I think about what it must be like waking up every day knowing you have a cancer diagnosis, having to go to three appointments in one day, being in pain, being tired. I knew I wanted to be there for patients who are going through this.”
After earning an Associate Degree in Nursing from Central Piedmont Community College while working at Novant Health in Charlotte, Addison chose oncology as her specialty and hasn’t looked back. A single mother of four children (ranging in age from 27 to 7), she’s now a chemotherapy-certified registered nurse at Novant Health Weisiger Cancer Institute.
This month, at 41, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through UNC Charlotte’s RN-to-BSN program. The program, which is offered through the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services, is open to registered nurses who’ve completed an associate degree or diploma program. Designed for working professionals, the program is conducted fully online.
“My goal was always to earn a bachelor’s degree,” Addison said. “Sometimes life happens and you may not be able to get the degree at 21-years-old straight out of high school but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen.”
Family ties
While working as a nurse and studying online, Addison was also raising two daughters, 15-year-old Kylie and 7-year-old Aaliyah. Her younger son, Devin, attends Wingate University. “They are proud of me and supportive when I pull out my laptop,” she said. “I want them to know that just because I’m a mom who takes care of them and the household doesn’t mean I can’t do more than that. I’m showing them how to not let life stop them.”
To pay for her tuition, Addison was awarded an Andersen Nontraditional Scholarship for Women’s Education and Retraining (ANSWER). The scholarship was founded and is led by UNC Charlotte alumna Susan Andersen ’84. It’s available to women 25 and older who are the primary caregiver to at least one school-age child.
Spectrum News 1 recently visited the School of Nursing to interview Andersen and Addison about the ANSWER scholarship for the cable news station’s Everyday Hero segment.
“In this economy, it’s hard to make it with just a regular 9-to-5 job. ANSWER gives women the opportunity to be mothers, still work and further their education so they can provide for their families and be proud of themselves,” Addison told the reporter.
future plans
One of the many reasons for earning a bachelor’s degree, Addison said, is it will put her on track for future leadership roles or becoming a cancer patient navigator. Oncology nurse navigators provide clinical support to patients throughout the care trajectory, similar to what Addison did for her grandmother. “She’s my biggest inspiration.”
And there might be more studying in her future. Addison said she’s considering applying for the nurse practitioner graduate program at UNC Charlotte. “Education opens more doors and provides more opportunities,” Addison said. “I want to see how far I can go.”
