Impact That Lasts – Winnie Fritz, RN, EdD, MSN, BSN, NEA-BC

Wanona (Winnie) Fritz, RN, EdD, MSN, BSN, NEA-BC

The annual Commonwealth Report consistently shows that the U.S. (compared to the other “top” developed nations) – spends 2x as much on healthcare costs but has outcomes near or at the bottom. As a nurse, I feel strongly that my experience and expertise are needed to address the challenges our country faces in healthcare.

Over the course of my career, I have served and worked in many roles:

In military and civilian roles; in war and peace settings
In U.S. and overseas healthcare environments
As a clinician, educator, and executive
In settings involving the full continuum of care
With innovation projects involving the PEOPLE-PLACES-PROCESSES model I developed.

As a board member, I am able to bring ideas to the table to make a lasting impact. I currently serve on several boards. Each of these boards provides me with unique ways to use my thought leadership as a nurse to serve my community.

American Association of International Healthcare Recruiters (AAIHR), Ethics Consultation Board – DC

I am the only nurse on this board with HR professionals. The AAIHR assesses and addresses issues related to international recruiting of foreign-educated nurses (FENs)/healthcare professionals. AAIHR contacted me to serve on their board:

“You have extensive experience in international healthcare organizations and recruitment. You know the immigration laws and FEN contracting. You know the ethical issues which can occur in sourcing, onboarding, and contracting/managing FENS. Will you join us?”

My background as an Army Nurse and civilian nurse educator and executive has afforded me the opportunity to work on projects in 24 countries (Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe): managing international healthcare organizations/hospitals; assessing healthcare systems operations and outcomes for “turnaround projects;” recruiting thousands of foreign-educated nurses (FENs) & healthcare professionals; and developing the Reach-Teach-Send-Tend model to enhance ethical, quality recruitment.

Banner Health quality & Safety Council (Boswell & Webb) (Banner) – AZ

On this board, I serve as a nurse/healthcare professional and as a community member served by Banner Healthcare organizations providing care delivery, access, quality, and recruitment/retention perspectives.

I am an Arizona resident. In recent years, I was at one time a CCO/CNO of one AZ hospital. Then, I was CEO of two AZ hospitals. Through the development of peer networks; and with recommendations/nominations by physicians and nurse leaders with whom I had worked, I was asked to serve:

“You know current healthcare challenges, the regs, accreditation standards and processes, and the top safety and quality issues. You’re also a community member; you potentially use our healthcare services. You will bring “fresh eyes” on our processes and outcomes. You hear what the neighbors say about us. You will ask: “Why do you do it this way?” We often hear you say: “Yes. Let’s do quality improvement (do things better), but let’s Innovate (do things differently) to enhance care outcomes and retain competent, engaged team members.”

Rendina Healthcare Real Estate (Rendina) – FL

I am the only nurse; there is one MD; working with architects, engineers, financial experts and lawyers.
I am asked to bring a clinical/front line perspective to the design, build, and management of ambulatory, emergent, and acute care health facilities.

Part of my doctoral coursework was in the College of Architecture & Engineering. I wanted to learn how to create more efficient, effective healthcare facilities (site, space, equipment planning) which support staff/patient safety, care, and healing. I always believed leadership should spend time assessing and enhancing the PEOPLE-PLACES-PROCESSES of healthcare. I had been a part of site/space/equipment planning for 14 hospitals and one school of nursing (U.S. and overseas).

Rendina contacted me to provide a Keynote on “What’s Going on in Healthcare Which Will or Should Influence Healthcare Real Estate?” Following the keynote, the Rendina CEO/President contacted me to serve on the Board.

“Currently we do not have that clinical perspective at the table. We would like for you to serve and keep reminding us of the ‘front lines’ clinical and nonclinical team members’ perspectives and wishes as we create the environments in which they will work.”

Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri (SSON), Alumni Board – MO

I am not the only nurse; the majority are nurses. We serve with Advancement and Alumni Relations representatives helping faculty and student organizations. I serve with other non-faculty members as alumni providing feedback on curriculum, assets in the new school building/facility, student success/nurse readiness variables, and student rewards/recognition/scholarships.

I am an alum of the SSON; it is where I was an Army Student Nurse getting my BSN before receiving order to go serve in Vietnam for a year’s tour of duty. The SSON provided me an exceptional foundation with a special focus on critical-thinking skills, dealing with the “what if’s” and innovating (much needed skills in a war zone).

I remained actively engaged as an alum, as I worked in clinician, educator, and leadership roles. Along the way, I served as a faculty member at 4 U.S. University Schools of Nursing – teaching graduate nursing students. In the Middle East, I led curriculum design/instructional systems development in three Schools of Nursing and had served as Dean at one.

The SSON invited me to be a guest faculty teaching DNP and PhD students.

Then, SSON asked me to serve:

“You come with an international perspective of preparing nurses and of incorporating the nursing role into a variety of patient care delivery models. We welcome your perspective on sourcing students; on creative teaching; on supporting and ensuring practice readiness in our grads, and on keeping alumni engaged.”

On my four current boards, I am encouraged to actively participate, contribute, offer advice, give feedback, express “negative” opinions. Earlier in my career, however, this was not always the case. Early on, I was invited to serve on some boards, but it became clear that the leadership did not seem to want my full engagement — especially my feedback. I advise colleagues to closely examine the culture of the board before committing your service. If a board views you as token member instead of a full member, you’ll be very frustrated at minimum and will probably soon resign from that board.

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to challenging board situations where your perspective isn’t valued. Some of those factors have to do with the individual: confidence, communication and language, expertise, etc. But others have to do with the system: barriers to participation and bias. It’s important for nurses to bravely step into those spaces, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Nurses bring incredible breadth and depth of experience and expertise to boards:

We are both providers, but also consumers.
We think of the “continuum” of services.
We bring our 5-Steps (Assess-Prioritize/Dx-Plan-Do-Evaluate) to everything we do.
We think PEOPLE -PLACES-PROCESSES as we think and plan for the “big picture” and the details.
We document and work to communicate in a timely manner.
We are motivated to think Prevent/Proact, not just React.
We are committed to involving/engaging “the front lines” in decision-making.

Nurses are a critical part of the healthcare ecosystem, and because of this, we are also a critical part of our larger communities. We have the voice and perspective to make real, meaningful change – we just need the chance to use it.