Virginia Nurses Today - August 2022

Page 6 | August, September, October 2022
Virginia Nurses Today | www.VirginiaNurses.com
CEO Reflections
Positioning Nurses to be Influencers!
Every nurse is or has the ability to be a leader
in their own right. Leadership does not necessitate
a list of credentials behind your name, nor does it
require that you are part of the C-suite. Leadership
is about advocacy of your patients or clients, on
behalf of your colleagues, and for nursing as a
profession. Leadership is about using your voice,
be it at the bedside or in a legislative committee
hearing, because you have important knowledge
and perspectives to share. Because you have a voice.
Does every nurse have a responsibility to flex that
knowledge and influence pivotal conversations? I
would suggest “yes.” It is together that we can best
advance nursing to the benefit of both the profession
and the communities we serve.
Five years ago, the Nurses on Boards Coalition
was founded. Its members include the American
Nurses Association, the American Nurses
Foundation and a host of other national nursing
organizations, and its mission is to improve the
health of communities through the service of nurses
on boards.
NOBC is committed to increasing nurses’
presence and influence on boards, panels, and
commissions possessing the strategic influence to
improve the health of communities and the nation.
This includes corporate, governmental, non-profit,
advisory or governance boards or commissions that
have fiduciary or strategic responsibility.
Having already achieved the key strategy of
placing 10,000 nurses on boards, NOBC can now
measure nurses’ impact on boards and raise
broader awareness that all boards would benefit
from the unique perspective of nurses to achieve the
goals of improved health and efficient and effective
healthcare systems at the local, state, and national
levels.
The pandemic has placed a harsh spotlight
on health disparities within our marginalized
communities, as well as racism in nursing. So, in
addition to exponentially increasing the number of
all nurses participating on boards of influence, it
is particularly important that our communities are
represented in the makeup of these boards, and that
boards be inclusive so as to yield greater opportunity
for all nurses, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, religion, etc.
As Sue Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, known for
her extensive work and leadership with the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center to
Champion Nursing in America, once said, “Board
service can be rewarding to nurses both personally
and professionally. It not only requires them to
exercise leadership; it expands those skills and
advances their capabilities and knowledge. It gives
nurses the chance to meet people and enhance their
professional networks. And it can be inspirational
and empowering.”
Not currently serving on a board, but interested?
Add your name to the NOBC database, and review
the many resources on board service included on the
site.
Already serving on a board or other entity that
has the ability to influence community health? Make
sure to add your name to the NOBC list so that we
can accurately track nurses progression.
Join VNA / ANA (https://www.
nursingworld.org/MbrApps/JoinProfile)
for $174/year and save 20% off your
Leadership Development Pre-Con
Workshop and Fall Conference rate!
II
Interested in honing
your leadership skills?
If you’re a new or
emerging nurse leader, Janet Wall, MS
we’ve got just the program
for you! Registration is now open for the Virginia
Nurses Foundation’s Nurse Leadership Academy.
The Academy, which offers a robust year-long
program of didactic learning and leadership project
development, consistently receives rave reviews
from participants, and will graduate its first class
of fellows this December. Learn more and register
for our 2023 class! The cost for this comprehensive
[virtual] year-long program is $1,295/registrant
or, for employers registering three or more nurses,
$1,195/registrant.
We’ve also planned a great Leadership
Development Pre-Conference program to
coincide with our September 9 & 10 in-person Fall
Conference, The Time for Change is Now, which
will be held at the stunning Westfields Marriott in
Chantilly, VA. The 4-hour pre-conference will be
led by Bullying & Incivility Content Expert Diane
Salter, MSN, RN, CPAN, NE-BC with the Healthy
Workforce Institute, and will examine Developing
Effective Communication for a Healthier
Workforce. Join us the morning of September 9 as
we learn how to develop assertive communication
skills among the healthcare team, incorporate
body language techniques to strengthen
team relationships, and create standards and
systems that foster collegiality. Fall Conference
registration fees are $249 for members and $295
for nonmembers. Add the leadership development
pre-conference and your total package rate will
be $300 for members and $375 for nonmembers.
Rooms at the Westfields Marriott are a very
reasonable $159/night via our room block.
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