IANANT Nurse Spotlight - Elizabeth Antony

Elizabeth Antony,  RN,MSN,CPHQ
Clinical Improvement Safety Coordinator

Elizabeth Antony is a quality improvement safety coordinator for the solid organ transplant department at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Elizabeth’s states, her mentors guided her to get into quality improvement and she enjoys her work. The quality improvement projects, chart audits, and collaboration with other healthcare providers improve quality of care, better patient outcomes, and thorough due diligence preventing patient harm. She encourages future nurses to be part of professional organizations like IANANT and explore different professional development opportunities. IANANT interviewed this inspiring new leader to know her professional story.

How did you land in your current specialty?
My mom being a nurse who guided me into nursing as I was interested in doing service to others. I have worn many hats in nursing. I have been a Nursing instructor for a while, then did bedside nursing and now in quality management. I started off in Hospital Quality and then joined the quality team for Solid Organ Transplant. I have had good mentors who guided me into quality management. My entry into quality management was purely by chance and I am thankful to my mentors who believed in me and molded me into this role.

What’s your typical day of work look like? What is the favorite part of your job? What are some of your challenges?
A typical day for me involves a lot of data management and auditing to make sure we follow transplant regulations. I am checking patient charts, reviewing safety events, and collaborating with staff and physicians for improved quality of care and better patient outcomes. I enjoy my job and love what I do because we make an impact on improving the quality of care for our patients, are committed to patient safety, and by our due diligence preventing patient harm. Our challenges can be developing and sustaining performance and process improvement projects.

What do you do for professional development? What do you expect from IANANT?
I participate in a number of professional development activities at my workplace which includes continuing education, certification, clinical ladder, lean principles, and research tools like CITI. I enjoy being part of the IANANT organization which is a great avenue for nurses to network with each other and look forward to working together to bring more learning and outreach activities to the community.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next five years?
Any advice for future nurses?
I aspire to continue to learn and grow professionally and hopefully complete my Doctorate degree. Nursing is a very noble profession dedicated to the service of mankind. Nursing has several opportunities to learn and grow. I can relate personally to how going into nursing built up my confidence and brought out my hidden talents. Like any other profession it is not easy, requires a lot of hard work and dedication but in the end, it is the right thing to do. I would encourage future nurses to be part of a professional organization like IANANT, keep an open mindset and explore different professional development activities.

What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? How has nursing changed your life?

My hobbies are cooking, decorating, singing, and dancing. For fun, I like to travel and see new places. Nursing has molded me into an efficient and independent individual. It has taught me life skills like service to others, patience, fortitude and given me financial stability. It has also increased my faith in God.

*If you want an IANANT nurse to be nominated for “Nurse Spotlight” please send the nomination to indianamericannurses@gmail.com
Interviewed by:
Jaisy Sonny DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
APRN chair