Inside Athena: Southbridge Director of Nursing Committed to Care
SOUTHBRIDGE, M.A. — From a young age, Anthony Mwangi knew he wanted a career in healthcare. Growing up in Kenya, he remembers attending a funeral and it sparked his curiosity about health and the body’s response to illness. His natural curiosity, combined with a strong desire to help others, solidified his calling to pursue a career in healthcare.
From left to right: Administrator-in-Training Peter, Administrator Dennis, DNS Anthony, and ADNS Maxine.
Today you can find Mwangi as the Director of Nursing at Southbridge Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, but he wasn’t always in this position. He began at the skilled nursing center in 2003 as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) giving him the foundation for nursing practices.
After working as a CNA, he decided to go back to school to become a nurse. In 2014, he started working as an LPN at Southbridge and then received his RN license in 2020. Since then, he has held roles including Nursing Supervisor and Assistant Director of Nursing.
“I’m not going to ask you to do something that I still won’t do,” Mwangi said. “I like to be on the floors, I’ve done a little bit of everything, and this goes without saying, we have a great team here.”
Mwangi said he never saw himself in a manager role, but as help was needed, he found himself stepping into those positions to lead the team and support the department and center.
“I want to be able to keep an eye on my residents, so I get to see firsthand what is going on and I’m accessible to them. I want them to see me and catch me if they need anything. I want to give them that,” said Mwangi.
He credits Dennis Billings, the center’s administrator, for his leadership and how he has learned a lot from him.
“What’s unique about Southbridge is there is a sense of family here,” he said. “It’s a home and a community and the idea of leaving of Southbridge is not something I am willing to do.”
Mwangi is also currently enrolled in school completing his nurse practitioner license.
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