When Ellen Scott, BSN, RN, CBIS, CRRN, first walked through the doors of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in 2015, she was a nursing student beginning a six-week preceptorship. Today, she serves as director of nursing for acute rehab and pediatrics on the Omaha Campus. Her path from student to senior leadership wasn’t something she mapped out, but it’s one she embraced every step of the way.
“I didn’t expect my career to look like this,” Ellen said. “But I knew early on that I wanted to grow with Madonna. It was the right place for so many reasons.”
After passing her NCLEX in July 2015, Ellen officially joined Madonna as a nightshift pediatric nurse. Within a year, new opportunities began to emerge. As the Omaha Campus opened, she took a leap of faith and stepped into a pediatric supervisor role.
Over the next several years, Ellen continued to build her career by saying yes to growth. She moved from supervisor to program leader, then to full-time leadership roles, and eventually to senior RN clinical supervisor. In 2022, she was named director of nursing. Throughout her journey, one thing remained constant: a willingness to learn and a drive to keep moving forward.
“I’ve always tried to jump at opportunities, meet new people and learn as much as I can,” she said. “When you’re surrounded by people who want you to succeed, it’s amazing the doors that can open.”
Ellen is passionate about helping others see what’s possible, especially new nurses just starting out.
“Your growth is something you have to champion yourself,” she said. “There will always be people here who want to support you, but your motivation and your decisions are what will move you closer to your goals. Stay hungry for more education.”
She encourages nursing staff to stay curious, seek out connections across departments and remain open to new challenges.
“Find what fills your bucket,” she said. “Find what challenges you so you stay motivated.”
Ellen says she wishes she could tell her younger self to be more confident, so it’s something she tries to instill in her younger staff.
“You’ve done the training,” Ellen said. “You’ve earned your license. Trust yourself and go after the opportunities in front of you.”
While she didn’t initially know what she wanted her career to look like, she says she wouldn’t change anything about her journey.
“It’s incredibly important to seek out opportunities however they present themselves,” Ellen said. “I definitely had a unique road with Madonna and it has just allowed me to continue to challenge myself and learn new things each day.”
For those hoping to grow their careers at Madonna, her advice is simple.
“When opportunity knocks, open the door. You never know where it might lead.”