Laurie Martin is a lifelong learner, with a string of letters behind her name to back it up.
After earning her LPN license, Martin earned an associate degree in business and then a bachelorСAPPs degree in marketing.
For the last three years, sheСAPPs worked as a care transition liaison for in-home health service provider LHC Group in Western Massachusetts. When she learned the company offered an incentive for employees interested in earning their degrees online through the СAPP, she saw the opportunity to add three more letters to her resume: MBA.
СAPPIСAPPm able to use the MBA in a lot of different areas,СAPP she says. СAPPWith my current nursing license, it gives me some freedom.СAPP
From Clinician to Corporate
Martin started her career in bedside patient care, but soon found her workload included an increasing amount of documentation.
СAPPI said, СAPPWell, if I'm going to be doing a lot of this paperwork and background, I might as well learn about it, so I know what I'm doing.СAPP That led to me getting my associate, and it just kind of expanded from there.СAPP
As care transition liaison, Martin coordinates between LHC GroupСAPPs sales team and operations team to make sure that referrals are processed accordingly so patients can get the care they need.
In addition to her work with LHC Group, Martin conducts AlzheimerСAPPs and dementia training for caregivers and is working on publishing a book.
Balancing all those priorities alongside graduate coursework was a challenge, says Martin, but sheСAPPs become proficient as an online learner through her prior experiences; she reminds herself that grad school is only a season.
"I find myself getting up most mornings to work on my homework, then doing it at lunchtime, and then again after work,СAPP she says. СAPPSo basically, every day I'm doing homework around everything else. I really don't have a lot of free time, but IСAPPll be done in April!СAPP
Putting Curriculum to Work
Pursuing an MBA degree online has given Martin the opportunity to better understand management, human resources and explore advanced concepts in data analytics.
СAPPIСAPPve really liked the opportunity to problem solve,СAPP she says. СAPPI try to use it in my day-to-day practice from customer service, to working with coworkers, to making suggestions to management.СAPP
Once Martin completes her degree in April, she hopes to find an opportunity for growth within LHC Group.
СAPPI want to leverage the experience I have along with my education, or what I call the alphabet soup behind my name,СAPP she says.
For students just beginning their journey, Martin offers some advice:
СAPPFirst, prepare for the amount of time that it's going to take you and be strict about how much time you're focusing on your classwork, because if you don't take advantage of it, you're going to be way behind the ball,СAPP she says. СAPPSecond, be in constant contact with your professors to discuss any issues that you're having.СAPP
Take the next step in your career while balancing your personal and professional priorities through the СAPPСAPPs MBA degree program online.