ALUMNI PROFILE
Cheresa Hadsell
Quality manager, Mercy Hospital of Defiance, Defiance, Ohio
BCOMP '06
Picking up a book after putting baby to bed. Cheresa went back to school in her late 20s, with three children, a husband and a house. Her most common phrase became: “Bedtime. Mommy’s got homework to do.” While overwhelmed at times, she wouldn’t trade her experience for the world. “My classmates were nontraditional students. It was easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you knew that others were dealing with the same issues you were.” Cheresa graduated in 1990 from Northwest State Community College with an associate degree in nursing and took the state boards to become a registered nurse.
Learning from others. Cheresa began her career as a staff nurse at St Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, and later took a position in infection control. In fall of 2005, she was hired as the infection control/employee health nurse at Mercy Hospital of Defiance. Prior to that, she served as the Henry County public health emergency planning coordinator for three and a half years. Cheresa thought that holding a bachelor’s degree would open more doors for her. “I felt that I would miss out on future career opportunities if I did not have that bachelor’s degree.” She learned about Bluffton’s BCOMP program through a coworker who was also looking to go back to school. “I wanted the experience of the classroom where I would be able to share ideas with real people. Part of the learning experience is networking with others, and the cohort experience was just the interaction that I
had hoped to get.”
Seeing every side. Within a year of joining Mercy Hospital, a quality manager opening appeared. Always up for a challenge, Cheresa dove right in. “I enjoy learning to the fullest,” she says. “With the different positions I’ve held, I’m now able to see the big picture of how the hospital is run—all of the details, intricacies and challenges. I don’t just see an issue from a nursing standpoint or an administrative standpoint. I also deal with patient complaints, so I can see their views as well. It’s been real eye-opening experience for me.”
Following in Mom’s footsteps. Cheresa’s children have also gone back to school as adults. Her son went back to school within the last year, and her daughter, who was in kindergarten when Cheresa began her associate degree, has recently applied to return to school for her master’s degree. “My biggest personal benefit from going back to school is seeing my children do it too,” says Cheresa. “I proved to them that it could be done.”
Making time for play. Cheresa is enjoying just spending time with her new granddaughter and taking day trips with her husband on their motorcycle. “I haven’t completely ruled out earning a master’s degree, but as I tell my kids, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
— Andréa Ressler ’09
