Michigan 2019 Annual Report

CANDIDATE BIOS
2019 ANNUAL BOOK OF REPORTS
CANDIDATE — PRESIDENT ELECT
Bridget Leonard DNP, RN, MBA-HCM, CRRN, NEA-BC
DMC-Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan | Chief Nursing Officer
Farmington Hills, MI
1. What activities are you currently involved with or have been in the past
related to ANA-Michigan or ANA?
– Current ANA-MI Director
– ANA-MI Conference Committee 2018-2019
– Past ANA-MI Recording Secretary 2013-2019
2. What elected, appointed offices or community activities relevant to this position have you
been involved with?
– Current Advisory Board Member for Siena Heights University MBA Program
– Past MONE Region 1 Recording Secretary
– Past-President/CEO Black Nurses Rock, Inc.- Detroit, MI
– Past National Marketing Director for Black Nurses Rock, Inc.
3. Please write a statement that indicates your view on issues facing ANA-Michigan? Indicate
why you want to serve in this role and why you are best qualified to carry out the duties of
this office? This statement will be shared publicly with the membership.
A continued issue facing ANA-Michigan is how to attract, engage, and retain members. As we all
know, nurses are aging and baby boomers want to retire. So we have to find creative ways to show
our millennials that they are our future. As Florence Nightingale quoted, “The most important
practical lesson that can be given to nurses is to teach them what to observe.” Thus we have to
provide the skills they need not only at the bedside, but also in the community and boardroom
to be a voice for nursing. We have to show nurses how to fight for their practice at the unit,
hospital, local, and legislative levels to ensure our patients get the care they deserve. We have
to look at staffing ratios and ensure that nurses are able to provide safe, quality care. We must
be mentors and resources for our future so they feel comfortable being advocates not only for
the patients, but themselves. We have to support our nursing educators and nursing leadership so
our nurses become even more prepared than in the past to deal with complex issues that extend
beyond the bedside. All of the aforementioned is in alignment with 2020 being the Year of the
Nurse; we owe this to Florence Nightingale and all practicing nurses.
As an ANA-Michigan Board member since 2013, I have had the advantage of working with a
great group of Nurse Leaders committed to making a difference. I have worked alongside four
dedicated, hard-working Presidents that have paved the way to where we are today. I have seen
our growth and I want to carry the torch as we strive to place nursing at its highest peak in the
realm of healthcare. I am an experienced nursing leader and board member that is dedicated,
knowledgeable, resourceful, and ready to serve!
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