Credentials: MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Place of Employment: UBATC
Which Nursing Organizations are you currently a member of: Utah Nurses Association, Utah Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Association, Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Board(s) currently serving on: Utah Nurses Association, Duchesne County Children’s Justice Center
Tell us about your journey to the boardroom. What inspired you to seek a leadership position?
I really can’t seem to keep my mouth shut, so people find out about my views! Seriously, you have to make contacts, reach out to people, and be willing to step up and volunteer.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
I keep up on politics from the local to international levels, I continue my professional education and stay current, and I make new contacts all the time and learn from everyone I meet.
What impact have you had serving on a board? Example?
I bring a perspective that many others don’t have, because of my lifelong observation of politics, business, and all levels of nursing education, as well as my understanding of ancillary healthcare services.
What advice would you give someone going into a board leadership position for the first time?
Listen more than you speak, learn all you can about the organization; it’s structure, history, and place in the community.
What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader and eventually obtaining a board position?
Learn all you can. Talk to people and get their perspective, long before you share yours.
Why do you feel it is important for nurses to serve on boards?
Nurses must be more visible in our communities, states, and nation. We are a respected profession and we have the duty to use that influence to bring our communities to a higher level of health.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to nurses serving on boards?
Nurses have a broad perspective that is informed not only by the profession of nursing, but also by medicine, social sciences, psychology, ecology, and the humanities. This allows us a big advantage when considering initiatives, because we can foresee what to others would be unknowable impacts. We can provide that without needing to hire a consultant. We also have a good sense about the sincerity of a person, so we can use that to the advantage of an organization that could otherwise be bamboozled by people and companies that might not have the organization’s best interests at heart.
