A Calling to Serve: FranU Alumna Leads in the Operating Room

At 5:15 each morning, long before the first surgical case begins, Maranda Douglas walks into the operating room, changes into scrubs, turns on the coffee in the surgeons’ lounge and checks in with the overnight staff to hear how the night unfolded.

Within hours, 19 operating rooms will be in motion, caring for patients whose lives depend on the work happening behind those doors. As Director of the Main Operating Room at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Douglas ensures that every room, staff member and patient is ready.

This is a role that requires passion for healthcare and service. Luckily for Douglas, this has been her dream since childhood.

“To be honest, I have never envisioned myself doing anything else,” she said. “My mother recently reminded me that by the age of 10, becoming a nurse was all I ever talked about. I have remained steadfast in that vision ever since.”

Douglas pursued this vision at FranU, earning her Associate of Science in Nursing in 2004. After graduation she began working as a medical telemetry nurse at Our Lady of the Lake on the Cardiology 3 unit. Only two weeks after finishing orientation, Douglas became a charge nurse.

While working, she returned to FranU to continue her education, completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006. Soon after graduation, she transferred into the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, expanding her skills and becoming a charge nurse there as well.

In 2008 she accepted the manager position of the same unit she started her career in. For over six years, she led the Cardiology 3 team while also serving as interim manager for several cardiac units across the hospital.

During that time she played a key role in the development of the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute, helping lead the construction and transition of units into the newly built seventh and eighth floors when the facility opened in 2013. The project would also change her life in an unexpected way: she met her future husband, who was working as an equipment consultant on the project.

In 2014, it was time for a change of scenery. Douglas and her husband moved to Memphis, and she worked as the Cardiology Director of Nursing at Baptist Memorial Hospital for another six years.

However, it was inevitably time to come home. When returning to Baton Rouge, Douglas knew exactly where she wanted to work.

It was a no-brainer for me about where I wanted to be,” she said. “OLOL is my work home.”

She contacted the hospital’s chief nursing officer and asked how she could help. Then, she interviewed for the position of Director of the Main Operating Room and began the role in June 2020.

Over the past five and a half years, Douglas has led one of the busiest departments in the hospital. The Main OR alone cares for nearly 12,000 patients each year, with approximately 150 team members working within the department daily. 

Despite the size and complexity of the department, Douglas thrives in the unpredictability of the work. “The beautiful part about being an OR director is that no two days are ever the same,” she said.

She spends her mornings reviewing staffing schedules, preparing operating rooms and checking in with surgeons before the first cases begin at 7 a.m. Throughout the day, she manages scheduling challenges, supports staff and addresses whatever unexpected issues arise. This can mean wearing a lot of hats at times.

“As the director, I serve in many roles—life coach, pastoral support, mentor, liaison to biomed, housekeeping, dietary, reception, HR, recruiting, finance or maintenance,” she said. “Whatever job, duty or request arises, I am the resource and go-to person.”

Douglas spends much of her time listening to the voices of her nurses and surgeons, working to strengthen the culture of the operating room and ensure the team has the resources they need.

I pour my energy into our people so that they, in turn, can give their best to our patients,” she said.

Outside of the operating room, Douglas finds small ways to continue caring for the people around her. Her colleagues know that she loves to cook and frequently shares homemade treats with the team such as carrot cake and chocolate turtles. Sundays in her kitchen typically turn into preparing something yummy for the week ahead.

Looking back, Douglas thanks FranU for preparing her for the realities of nursing and leadership.

“I chose FranU because it is a faith-based college dedicated to improving healthcare in our community,” she said. “The education I received prepared me well for daily life as a nurse.”

She also remembers the faculty who shaped her early experience, especially her first clinical instructor, Susan Carpenter.

“She was the kindest and most patient person I had ever met,” Douglas said. “She took the time to make sure every one of us felt comfortable and confident on that very first day at our clinical site.”

More than two decades since the beginning of her journey, Douglas still approaches each day with the same sense of purpose that first inspired her as a child.

It has been an absolute privilege to attend FranU and to continue my journey as a nurse and nurse leader at Our Lady of the Lake,” she said. “It has been a wonderful 26 years, and I look forward to seeing what the next 26 years hold."