Nicole Williams

Nicole Williams is the honored recipient of the Margaret L. McClure 2022-2023 Scholarship. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Washington College in 2019 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) in 2020. She is now enrolled full time in the Master of Science in Nursing program at UMSON with a concentration in Health Services Leadership and Management.

Nicole has always been a caretaker by nature and was drawn to critical care nursing because of the fast-pace and high intensity setting. She has always liked being challenged and works best under pressure. Nicole is currently a registered nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, MD. She loves the variety of patients that she is privileged to provide care to and for all the ways in which she has been challenged – intellectually, emotionally, and professionally.

Nicole believes that working through the COVID-19 pandemic has helped shape her into a more resilient, adaptable, and capable nurse. Nicole is currently chair of the unit’s Safety, Quality, and Service committee and deeply involved in the unit’s resuscitation processes. She has recently implemented a process improvement project that she hopes will significantly improve the accuracy of code event documentation on the SICU and improve staff’s confidence and competence during emergency events.

Nicole is part of the unit’s mentorship program, an experienced preceptor, and a Resiliency in Stressful Events (RISE) Peer Responder. She is also a volunteer for Baltimore Votes and is actively seeking ways to help improve access to healthcare in her local community. Nicole chose UMSON’s MSN in Health Services Leadership and Management to advance her career and gain knowledge about the financial, political, and operational forces that govern hospitals and healthcare systems.

Nicole is passionate about health policy and is eager to leverage the momentum of her career and education to help improve access to healthcare for all. She firmly believes that nurses, better than anyone, can accept and understand people in the context of their circumstances and advocate for those without a voice. After graduation, Nicole will be applying for several health policy fellowships in Washington D.C. and is hoping to apply to George Washington University’s post-master’s DNP in Health Policy program. Her goal is to help create a more equitable healthcare system; improve access to primary preventative care; and advocate for women’s healthcare rights.

Nicole would like to thank her family, friends, coworkers, and the NEF, Margaret L. McClure Scholarship for enriching her education and bringing her closer to fulfilling her dream of developing and enacting equitable health care through effective health policy.