Get to Know Your Professor: 4 Insights from Theresa Williams on Nursing Leadership and Learning

As a nurse, the proper education can do more than check a box; it can shape how you lead, advocate, and grow in your career. That’s what makes the Online RN to BSN degree at the University of Illinois Chicago so impactful. The program is built for working professionals, offering flexibility, expert faculty, and a curriculum grounded in real-world relevance.

One of the experienced voices guiding students through the program is Professor Theresa Williams, who teaches NURS 372: Leadership and Management in Nursing and NURS 382: Nursing Role in Healthcare Quality and Safety. Professor Williams brings a unique perspective to her teaching with more than 20 years of experience in pediatric and adult nursing, including work in NICU, transplant, ICU, and clinical data analysis. In this spotlight, she shares four insights on nursing leadership and what she hopes students take away from the journey.

1. What makes a student stand out to you as a future nurse leader?

I think leaders must have attention to detail, follow instructions, use feedback to improve, and be timely. The best nurses can take knowledge and use it in practice. They need to be current with their use in practice and understand that nurses need to have good patient outcomes despite being understaffed. Short staffing is here to stay for a while, so we need to adjust. A good leader knows what is to be done and can find ways to get that accomplished no matter the staffing.

2. What’s one thing you wish every RN could hear at the start of their BSN journey?

Work, life, learning balance is critical for all nurses, but each one needs to incorporate learning into each day, just like eating is done daily. Learning is every day, not just on your days off.

3. What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your career that you hope to pass on to students?

The little things matter in all you do. Learn to keep doing the little things despite the challenges of more complex thinking. Learn to do both.

For example, you must not only give the discharge instruction but also evaluate if the patient understands the instructions. If the patient is readmitted for the same issue, you need to reflect and evaluate what you can do better in the future. Don’t just do; do, evaluate, and learn to improve.

4. How would you describe your teaching style?

I use student-centered learning as my approach. I try to give individual feedback, as each student is in a unique place regarding primary education and experience with healthcare. I try to find out what works for each student, not for the class as a whole.

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