Britni Adams didn’t have experience working in a healthcare facility when she enrolled in the University of Wisconsin Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. Instead, her medical background is deeply personal.
As a student in the 100 percent online program, Britni aims to help healthcare professionals do their best work so that patients are given the proper care and attention they need.
A Renewed Sense of Purpose
Britni’s world shifted dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, her father-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Just days later, Britni’s own father fell down the stairs and broke his neck, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
Public health restrictions at the time meant visiting hours were limited as her father was placed in different hospitals over a nine-month period. Her family worked hard to bring her father home and give him 24/7 nursing in place, which was difficult due to the national nursing shortage.
Britni’s family had the daunting task of interviewing nurses to find the right person who would ensure her father received the best care possible. She also trained full-time in the ICU at the Milwaukee hospital where her father was staying to learn how to best care for him at home. Other tasks Britni was in charge of included ordering medical supplies and undergoing in-home training to provide hemodialysis at home.
After about six months, Britni eventually made the hard decision to quit her supply chain job at Kimberly-Clark to care for her father full-time.
“I saw too many horrible things along the way and had to fight his fight for him because he could not,” she said. “I think he got looked over a lot. He got told in the ER at certain hospitals that he’s dying anyway, so we’re not going to admit him, which is wrong.”
After experiencing other health complications, Britni’s father chose to stop dialysis and passed away in 2023 at the age of 60.
To honor his memory, Britni searched for a master’s degree program that would help her work toward making meaningful change in healthcare. The nurses who helped her father had suggested Britni go into nursing as well, but she had felt the emotional burnout of providing bedside care. She instead wanted to focus on the systemic issues she witnessed firsthand, which would involve working at the administrative level.
“A lot of people forget that nurses are humans, too, and we expect perfection, which, rightfully so, because they are caring for our loved ones or ourselves,” she said. “But they’re people. They need more tools and the right policies to be put in place. They need to be heard.”
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, lingering pandemic burnout, low retention rates, and an aging population have all led to a nursing shortage. A demanding work environment with fewer nursing staff results in errors and higher mortality rates.
Britni wanted to be part of the solution and advocate for patients, their families, and nurses and other healthcare professionals who needed support. Above all else, she wanted to make sure others didn’t have to go through what she and her family went through.
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Finding the Right Master’s Degree Program
Prior to enrolling in the Master of Science in Healthcare Administration, Britni earned a bachelor’s in drama from UW-Stevens Point. Her whole family worked in theater as part of their nonprofit, but she later realized she wanted to take a different path.
After moving back to her hometown of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Britni earned a second bachelor’s in business administration from UW-Oshkosh. During this time, Britni met her husband and worked in various supply chain roles.
Her third time returning to school, Britni searched for a program that had both credibility and flexibility. As a stay-at-home mother of 2- and 6-year-olds and two stepdaughters in high school, she needed to balance her studies with her responsibilities at home.
Britni learned about the Healthcare Administration program after receiving emails for another online master’s degree. She requested more information and received a phone call from the UW Online Collaboratives Recruitment Team.
Britni praised the warmth she felt during her first conversations with her enrollment adviser. The two talked for an hour, and Britni felt they truly listened to her and cared about her questions.
“I’m a very personal person, so I didn’t want this to be a business transaction type of decision,” she said. “This means a lot to me. So when I talked to [the enrollment adviser], I just felt like, OK, she’s representing these programs, and she cares. She followed up with me and was very nice and empathetic.”
Applying to the program felt like a natural next step for Britni. Courses are fully online and don’t require in-person meetings or lectures. This allows her to finish coursework on her own time.
“The flexibility is so nice because I know my due dates, so I can adjust my personal schedule and get it done when my son is napping or when he’s playing in the morning, and he’s not crawling over me,” she laughed. “I don’t have to wait for someone or for a class.”
Eye-Opening Coursework
The program’s curriculum has also reaffirmed Britni’s career goals. HCA 700 U.S. Healthcare Systems introduces students to the public and private elements of healthcare. Britni learned about well-known gaps in health systems that were similar to the hurdles she faced while caring for her father.
The course boosted her confidence and reassured Britni that a career in healthcare administration was the right choice for her.
“I felt like I was in the right place,” she said. “I’m in the majority of people who feel this way. But it’s going to take a lot of people with that fire to make change.”
“Everyone’s trying to feed their family but also spend time with their family. Or they’re trying to get ahead in their career, but then they’re trying to do this. You don’t have to just pick one. This program is so well-designed to tailor to your personal life and help you achieve your goals.”
Britni says her instructors’ feedback in the program has been respectful and to the point. Compared to her time as an undergraduate student, she found it refreshing to feel like an equal, and whose opinions were respected while discussing different healthcare topics. This has helped her to see the big picture within healthcare administration.
“It’s important for people to understand that healthcare needs variety,” she said. “It needs versatility. It needs opposing opinions and viewpoints because one way is not the only way.”
At first, Britni felt intimidated by her lack of healthcare experience, but she believes that combining her business background with her personal experience as a caregiver will allow her to effect meaningful change. The same goes for prospective students who may have experience in other fields.
“Make the jump, have the conversations, and don’t feel like if you aren’t already working in a hospital that you can’t do it,” she said. “We all have our strengths, and we all have to use them to work together and help each other out.”
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Remaining Resilient
As Britni continues to work through the Healthcare Administration program, she feels empowered to earn her master’s degree while raising her family. If you’re considering the program yourself, Britni says courses will fit alongside your other life commitments.
“Everyone’s trying to feed their family but also spend time with their family,” she said. “Or they’re trying to get ahead in their career, but then they’re trying to do this. You don’t have to just pick one. This program is so well-designed to tailor to your personal life and help you achieve your goals.”
As busy as parenting and graduate school can be for Britni, her father’s memory has compelled her to keep pushing forward.
“With everything that I’ve experienced and seen firsthand, I have a really good motivation and that fire to go after change and not take ‘No’ for an answer,” she said. “That’s really what sparked me into doing [the program]. I feel like the best way to honor him is to help fix what’s wrong and help other families.”
To learn more about the University of Wisconsin Master of Science in Healthcare Administration, contact an enrollment adviser by calling 608-800-6762 or emailing learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu.
UW Healthcare Administration is a collaboration of five UWs. Britni is earning her degree through UW-Stevens Point.