When Scott Podruzny, BSN ’12, RN, called WSU College of Nursing and left a voicemail about his wife and mother-in-law, he wasn’t just sharing a story. He was pointing to something rare.
One generation helped build nurse practitioner education in Yakima.
Another is helping close a chapter.
For Audra Podruzny, BSN ’12, DNP ’26, RN, that connection has always felt personal.
Nursing was never an abstract idea in her life. It was something she grew up watching—closely.
Her mother, Coreen “Cory” Slobig, began her career in healthcare as a medical assistant and phlebotomist, a registered nurse, and eventually a nurse practitioner after earning her Master of Nursing degree in 2002. Podruzny remembers sitting beside her as a child, flipping through books while her mom studied.
“She’d be highlighting textbooks, and I’d sit next to her and highlight my own books,” Podruzny said.
That early exposure left an impression that lasted.
“As a kid, nursing was my dream job,” she said.
Finding Her Own Path
Even with that foundation, Podruzny explored other options.
Like many students, she considered different career paths—engineering, medicine—but none felt right. Nursing kept pulling her back. “It didn’t feel like a good fit anywhere else,” she said. “With nursing, you get to talk to people and care for people right away.”
She enrolled at Washington State University, following in her mother’s footsteps. It wasn’t a difficult decision.
“My mom was an alum. We always cheered for the Cougs,” she said.
After earning her BSN in 2012, Podruzny built a broad clinical career—working in medical-surgical nursing, telemetry ICU, and perioperative care. She later moved into leadership roles, including clinical nurse educator and nurse manager.
Then came 2020.
As a nurse manager during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself stretched thin, working long hours while raising a young family. “I’d look at my schedule—60 to 80 hours a week—and think, something has to change,” she said.
Going back to school, she realized, might actually offer a different kind of balance.
“Learning has to be easier than the COVID battlefield,” she said.
Stepping Into a New Role
Now a Doctor of Nursing Practice student in the Family Nurse Practitioner track, Podruzny is preparing for a shift in responsibility—from nurse to provider.
That transition hasn’t been simple.
“As a nurse, you build rapport and help guide care, but the final decisions belong to the provider,” she said. “Now, the buck stops with you.”
She describes the experience in physical terms.
“It’s like stepping into a weight class you haven’t trained for yet,” she said. “You don’t just have the muscle—you have to build it.”
The white coat ceremony captured that feeling.
“It felt like the coat was two sizes too big,” she said. “You grow into it.”
That growth happens over time, through clinical experience and patient relationships—something she didn’t always have in her previous nursing roles.
“One of the most rewarding things has been seeing patients more than once,” she said. “You meet someone, then see them again in six to eight weeks and watch their progress.”
She recalls a young patient in a women’s health clinic who came in for contraception but was also struggling with depression.
“By the third visit, you could see the improvement,” she said. “That’s the part that’s really meaningful— helping the whole person.”
A Program Rooted in Community
For the Podruzny family, Yakima isn’t just a location. It’s part of their story.
Having a nursing program close to home made a difference—for both generations.
“It allowed me to stay near family, to build a life here,” Podruzny said.
She points to Yakima’s unique role in training nurses who serve rural and underserved communities.
“You’re working with migrant populations, Native communities, people with limited access to care,” she said. “There’s a real need here—and people want to help you grow.”
That environment shapes both the education and the nurses who come out of it.
“Yakima is about overcoming adversity to help things grow,” she said.
As one of the 2026 DNP graduates from the Yakima campus, Podruzny sees herself as part of a larger continuum.
“I’m just one graduate, but when you look at all the people who came through this program, every one of them has made an impact,” she said.
A Full-Circle Moment
That impact came into focus during a recent photo.
Podruzny, in her white coat, listens to her mother’s heartbeat. It was a symbolic moment.
“It was fun to see her in that light—and to be in the position of a provider,” she said.
Now, their roles are beginning to shift.
“She taught me so much, and now I’m starting to teach her things,” Podruzny said. “I am fortunate to have her advice during this transition.”
Balancing Work, School, and Family
Outside of clinicals and coursework, Podruzny’s life is full.
She and her husband, Scott—also a nurse—are raising three children while navigating demanding careers.
Balance doesn’t happen by accident.
“I’m really good at Google Calendar,” she said.
It also requires boundaries.
“I never used to say no,” she said. “Now I’ve had to learn how.”
That shift has been essential—not just for time management, but for sustainability.
“By saying yes to one thing, you’re automatically saying no to something else,” she said.
Support from family has made a difference, as has flexibility from employers.
“If someone isn’t willing to work with you, that’s a red flag,” she said.
When Training Meets Reality
In December 2021, Audra and Scott Podruzny found themselves in a situation that tested everything they had learned.
On a flight, a call went out for medical help.
“We looked at each other like—do we say something?” she said.
They did.
What they found at the front of the plane was a passenger with a serious head injury and heavy bleeding.
“There wasn’t much to work with,” she said. “You take what you’re given.”
They improvised—using available materials, managing the airway, and stabilizing the patient as the plane descended.
The experience reinforced something simple.
“You don’t always have perfect conditions,” she said. “You just show up and do what you can.”
Looking Ahead
As graduation approaches in May 2026, Podruzny is exploring what comes next.
She’s interviewing for roles across specialties—from primary care to addiction medicine—and keeping her options open. “There are so many opportunities in Yakima,” she said. “I want a role where I can learn and grow.”
What matters most is balance. “I want a job that supports my life and my family,” she said.
A Growing Legacy
For Podruzny, nursing is more than a profession. It’s a shared identity.
“There’s a place in nursing for almost anyone,” she said.
That belief shapes how she talks to patients—and how she thinks about the future.
“If someone has that caregiver heart, I plant the seed,” she said.
Her daughter is already showing signs of it.
Whether that continues into the next generation remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear.
In Yakima, for this family, the story of nursing is still being written.
