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Summary:
Transition to practice doesn’t end when a nurse finishes residency; it happens every time a nurse steps into a new role.
In this episode, Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe, Senior Director of Nursing Strategy and Professional Development at Vandalia Health, joins Dr. Renee Thompson to discuss why healthcare organizations need to rethink how they support nurses throughout their careers. Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe explains that moving from bedside nursing into charge nurse, educator, manager, director, or executive roles creates new responsibilities and vulnerabilities that require intentional development. She shares how structured transition-to-practice programs, leadership fellowships, mentorship, and competency-based education can better prepare nurses for these changes. Drawing on her first career as a musician, Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe also compares effective leadership to conducting an orchestra: leaders bring people with different skills together around a common goal while trusting each person to contribute their expertise.
Tune in to learn how stronger transition-to-practice programs can help nurses build confidence, leadership skills, and succeed throughout their careers.
About Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe:
Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe is Senior Director of Nursing Strategy and Professional Development at Vandalia Health. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and American Organization for Nursing Leadership, she has extensive experience leading initiatives in nursing development, evidence-based practice, patient safety, recruitment, retention, and transition-to-practice.
Before joining Vandalia Health, Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe spent more than a decade at WVU Medicine in leadership roles including Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Education, Magnet Program Director, and Transition to Practice Director. She also has experience as a pediatric nurse practitioner and pediatric intensive care nurse and serves as adjunct faculty at West Virginia University.
Before nursing, Dr. Lya M. Cartwright-Stroupe earned a doctorate in piano performance and literature. Her background as a musician continues to shape her leadership philosophy, emphasizing relationships, preparation, trust, communication, and bringing diverse strengths together toward a shared purpose.
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