Grady
When Patricia Grady (NHS’67) came to Washington, D.C., from a small town in southern Florida – like many young women of her generation – she had been drawn to nursing by her love for science, a natural curiosity, and a fascination with the Cherry Ames book series.
Grady was looking forward to a career she felt was versatile enough to accommodate various life stages and would enable her to make a difference in people’s lives. As she engaged in life across the university – interacting with students from all campuses – and took advantage of what the city had to offer, the pieces of the puzzle started to come together.
“Georgetown did influence me in ways I was not even aware of at the time,” said Grady. “It made me want to make a contribution to society on a broader level and opened my eyes to larger issues across the nation. … I had a very curious mind, liked asking questions, and enjoyed solving mysteries. Georgetown nurtured that and shaped me.”
Grady went on to earn her master’s in nursing and her Ph.D. in physiology, both from the University of Maryland. In 2010, she marked her 15th year as director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health.
In her current role, Grady not only fulfills the mission she espoused so early on to make a difference to patients, but also is able to take her passion to a national stage by helping shape a policy agenda that places nursing research at the forefront of health care. For Grady, prevention, wellness, and symptom management are key areas in which nursing and nursing research can play an increasingly prominent role, she says.
One piece of advice she offers all nurse scientists, including young investigators and those just starting their careers, is to avoid planning their careers too carefully and to remain open to opportunities that may not be obvious.
“When you’re young, you expect opportunities to come in a neat package or with certain guideposts,” said Grady. “But it usually doesn’t work out that way. Sometimes you just have to use your imagination.”
Adapted from a longer profile that appeared on the Web site of Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.
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