Talia ‘Santana’ Moore, a nursing supervisor of practice and clinical education at Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital, celebrated 10 years with our ministry this past summer.
Santana began her nursing journey at just 19 years old, graduating with an associate degree in nursing from West Kentucky Community and Technical College. She later completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Mercy College of Ohio in 2019.
“I really enjoy welcoming new hires to our hospital and helping them get settled in during their first few days,” Santana shares. “I’ve always found it rewarding to guide new graduate nurses as they start their careers. In my role, I also have the chance to understand the experiences of bedside nurses and address any obstacles they face in their work. I work with the education system and nursing leadership to achieve our shared objectives.”
Santana also recently pursued a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership from Mercy College of Ohio by utilizing our ministry’s education benefits program.
At Mercy Health, we are proud to give all our team members access to education programs that are designed to empower career growth.
We offer up to 100 percent tuition-free education for priority clinical programs to help them pursue their health care callings and career.
Reflecting on her decision to further her education, Santana explains, “I began my nursing career at a young age, and I believe there are plenty of opportunities for me to grow in this field. I wanted to keep my career options open, and I have received strong support from the chief nursing officer, directors and my nursing professional development director.”
The structure and support of her program have been pivotal in Santana’s journey, too.
“It was easy to enroll,” she explains. “The education benefits program makes it easy to have the costs covered. The adviser has been a great mentor. You complete two classes each semester but only work on one at a time, about seven weeks each. This structure made the entire program feel easy to manage.”
Santana credits much of her success to the support system around her.
“My mom has been a tremendous support for helping me any time life has been overwhelming,” she adds. “I am a full-time mom and a full-time student with a full-time job. My mom is always willing to come over, day or night, to help me with the kids and housework. And bless my kids and husband for having to say no to fun on occasion so that I can complete homework.”
She continues, “I’m also grateful for my coworker, Kayla Canup – without her doing this program with me, I’m not sure I could have made every deadline and stayed on track at both work and school.”
Looking ahead, Santana has clear plans for how she will utilize her advanced education.
“I plan to continue seeking opportunities for growth. My master’s not only opens doors to higher-level positions but also provides me with the tools to make a significant impact on the health care system.”
And for those considering starting a degree program but feeling uncertain, Santana offers encouraging words.
“If you’re considering starting a degree program but are unsure, my advice is to go for it! And if you have tuition payment available to you, the work you put into advancing yourself is definitely worthwhile. If you’re early in your career, pursuing a degree can also lead to great opportunities for advancement and personal growth.”
Learn about the health care services we provide at Mercy Health.
Also, visit our careers page if you are interested in exploring new opportunities within our ministry.
