As a student in Mercer University’s College of Nursing, James DiAngelo learned evidence-based practices as well as the importance of taking an active role in nursing leadership. Today, the Double Bear is the executive director of nursing practice and governance for Piedmont Healthcare, where he oversees initiatives that nurture and support nurses throughout their careers.
Nursing wasn’t the first career for DiAngelo, who grew up in Gwinnett County and now lives in Chamblee. Right out of high school, he went to the Georgia Institute of Technology for a few years as a chemical engineering major, until he realized that wasn’t the right path for him. He worked in retail for a while and then became a makeup artist for MAC cosmetics.
But after 9/11, he began to question how his work was contributing to society. A news story about the nursing shortage sparked his interest in this field, and he applied to Mercer’s College of Nursing after talking with a colleague who used to teach there.
DiAngelo said his grades from his previous college studies weren’t great, but he shared his story and goals during his Mercer admissions interview.
“They saw something in me and took a chance on me, even though I didn’t necessarily have all the boxes checked for Mercer, and the rest is history,” he said. “I love Mercer. They really helped me to build that knowledge base, confidence and my skills as a future leader of nurses.”
DiAngelo was in his 30s when he started his nursing courses in 2004. He was awarded a scholarship from Piedmont Healthcare that covered the last two years of his tuition and required him to work there for two years upon completing his degree.
He dove into leadership opportunities on campus, becoming treasurer of the Georgia Association of Nursing Students and president of the University chapter of the National Association of Nursing Students. He said being involved in these organizations showed him that he wanted to be an active participant in the nursing world and propelled him to take on leadership roles once he entered the workforce.
DiAngelo said Mercer helped him to see that bedside nursing is not the only direction that a nursing career can take.
“Mercer opened up my eyes to see that nursing is a unique practice, and we’ve got to have strong voices to help the profession move forward.”
While still in nursing school, he worked as a patient care tech at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, which kicked off his long-term career with the hospital system. DiAngelo said his early connection with Piedmont made his transition from student to nurse easy. Upon graduating in 2007, he started working as a nurse at Piedmont Atlanta and completed its critical care residency program, followed by three years in the cardiac intensive care unit.
He discovered a love for teaching while serving as a preceptor to new nurses, prompting him to return to Mercer to pursue a master’s degree in nursing education, which he completed in 2011. As a master’s student, he served as president of Mercer’s Pi Gamma chapter of Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society.
DiAngelo also earned a post-master’s clinical nurse specialist certificate from Georgia State University. He took on positions at Piedmont as a clinical nurse expert for intensive care, clinical nurse specialist for critical care and sepsis coordinator before landing in his current role eight years ago.
As executive director of nursing practice and governance, he oversees about 50 staff members in implementing programs that support about 13,000 nurses at 22 Piedmont locations.
“We are really looking at the entire life cycle of a nurse, everything from when they’re just in nursing school to when they decide they want to retire,” he said. “Everything that I experienced in my early nursing career is what I have now been involved in building to help other nurses in the same way that I’ve been helped.”
His office coordinates the placement of health care professions students at Piedmont locations, so they can fulfill their clinical requirements, and facilitates partnerships with nursing schools to address clinical faculty shortages. In 2023, DiAngelo’s department started the Piedmont Scholars Program, which provides financial assistance to nursing students.
DiAngelo also manages the Transition to Practice Program, a 12-month residency that launched in 2022. The program provides holistic support and resources to ease the challenges that new graduates face as they enter the workforce. In addition to acquiring new skills, the nurses learn how to take care of themselves, deal with ethical implications, and communicate effectively with families and providers.
In their first four or five months of work, new nurses are at high risk for leaving not just their position but the nursing profession altogether, DiAngelo said. But, they are more likely to stay if they can make it through the first year. First-year turnover for new nurses overall is around 18%, but Piedmont’s Transition to Practice Program dropped that rate to 7% with its first cohort.
DiAngelo said it’s rewarding “knowing that I’ve been a part of putting into place a support structure to help those new grads get over that fear and anxiety of all that newness and get over that hump and make it through the first 12 months.”
In addition, DiAngelo’s department handles ongoing training and development for existing Piedmont nursing staff. This includes keeping everyone up-to-date on the latest practices and offering training programs for nurses who want to work in other units.
“We can keep those folks within the Piedmont family, but they also grow into whatever they want to do. We’re really trying to support them through the whole career,” he said. “One thing that I really love about my work and about Piedmont is that there’s a sense of community and a sense of family that I’ve not experienced in other organizations. That keeps me coming back every day.”
James DiAngelo is among the Mercerians featured in Mercer Illustrated: The Places, People, and Experiences of a Uniquely Impactful University. This coffee table book from Mercer University Press can be ordered online. Mercer faculty, staff and students can receive a 40% discount when they order by phone at (478) 301-2880.
