She's shaped by the nurses before her

Written by Charlotte Stefanski, cstefanski@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health's Metro Region

For Ashley Hooks, a registered nurse working in IU Health North's 5C Post-Surgical unit, the best part of her job is helping patients heal and get back to their lives.

Growing up, Ashley Hooks always knew she wanted to go into healthcare.

She decided to become a nurse, specifically, after her grandmother suffered a heart attack in 2015. During that time, Hooks spent several weeks with her grandmother in the hospital.

“Watching all the nurses care for her made me want to be a nurse as well,” Hooks explains. “My sister is also a nurse and had previously worked at IU Health North, so I knew it was a great hospital to work at.”

Hooks, now a registered nurse, has worked at IU Health North for a little over two years, starting out on the 5C Post-Surgical unit as a new graduate nurse. She’s now a charge nurse on the unit, helping the team with her skills in patient care and administrative duties.

For Hooks, the best part of her job is helping patients.

“I love getting to help my patients heal after surgery and get back to their life again outside of the hospital,” she says.

Along with her regular responsibilities, Hooks is also involved in several nursing initiatives and groups at the hospital, including the Skin and Wound team, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Advisory Council, the Mock Code team and the EPIC Clinical Alarms and Device Integration Council. She’s also chosen to be part of the 2026 Emerging Leaders program.

“I’m most proud of the CNO Advisory Council. This group gives me a chance to collaborate with team members from other units, and I can already see the steps building towards positive changes within the hospital,” Hooks says. “I’m also getting so much personal growth from each class session with the Emerging Leaders program, and I am proud to have been accepted to be a part of it as well.”

National Nurses Week, slated for May 6 – 12, is a time to recognize the vital role nurses play in patient care, healthcare leadership and community health.

This Nurses Week, Hooks has a message for her fellow nurses:

“Thank you for your support as I have grown into the nurse I am now,” she says. “I could not do my job without the excellent nurses that I work alongside, and I appreciate each of them and their dedication so much.”

She also has advice for those just entering the profession:

“You don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We all have to start somewhere,” Hooks says.

Looking to find a home within healthcare? Explore nursing careers at careers.iuhealth.org.