Colleen McGauley

Colleen McGauley is the 2026-2027 recipient of the Bea Goodwin Scholarship. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Boston College and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Boston College.

Colleen’s passion for nursing began at a young age as she watched her father navigate a lifelong chronic illness. Witnessing the impact that compassionate healthcare professionals had on both her father and family inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to caring for others.

While attending nursing school, Colleen worked as a patient care associate on an adult cardiac floor at Tufts Medical Center. After earning her BSN, she began her bedside nursing career in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). While working full-time, she pursued her master’s degree and graduated in 2019 as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She then joined the pediatric orthopedic and trauma outpatient practice, where she currently works today. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colleen maintained her role in the ICU, caring for critically ill adults and children affected by the virus. This experience exposed her to both the remarkable strengths of the healthcare system and the challenges that remain. Motivated by a desire to improve healthcare delivery and advocate for patients and providers, she chose to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to become a compassionate leader and positive change agent within the profession.

In addition to her clinical practice, Colleen is deeply committed to nursing education. She precepts nurse practitioner students and serves as a part-time faculty at Boston College. Her professional involvement extends beyond patient care through leadership and advocacy roles. She serves on the Women in Leadership Committee through the Mass General Brigham health system, participates in the MGH global disaster response program, and collaborates on various practice research initiatives within her practice setting. In addition, she serves as a regional director and sits on the board of the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners.

Upon completing her DNP, Colleen hopes to expand her leadership in healthcare systems improvement, advance nursing education, and continue advocating for high-quality patient care. She is committed to using her doctoral education to create meaningful change within her community while helping prepare the next generation of nurses and nurse practitioners.

Pursuing a doctoral degree requires a significant investment of time, dedication, and financial resources. This scholarship helps make her educational goals possible and affirms her commitment to advancing the nursing profession. She is deeply grateful for the support.