Jennifer Inocencio
Jennifer Inocencio
- MSN-Ed, BSN, RNCredentials: MSN-Ed, BSN, RN
Place of Employment: VA South Texas
Which Nursing Organizations are you currently a member of: Sigma Theta Tau
Board(s) currently serving on:
Tell us about your journey to the boardroom. What inspired you to seek a leadership position?
I believe that change starts at the top, leaders need to be the role models, need to support and encourage other nurses and create new leaders in our profession, and I believe I am a good start to that change.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
I have completed grad school while working full time and have continued to seek learning opportunities for myself and others. I have read a few books on leadership and management, empowering nurses, and have attended community conferences to ensure that nurses have a voice in the communities that they serve and live in.
What impact have you had serving on a board? Example?
While living in Hawaii I served on a community board for local Okinawans. I assessed the aging population of the group and the need for interaction as many of the members were widowed. This created an opportunity for the group to become better associated, assisted with the loneliness, and hopefully prevented some accidents at home.
What advice would you give someone going into a board leadership position for the first time?
Never forget what it was like as a nursing student, a new nurse, and most importantly the patients/community you serve.
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?
Seek a mentor in your current facility, they don’t necessarily have to be a nurse but someone who possesses the characteristics of a leader that you strive to be like. If that person is able to mentor you create monthly meetings and set monthly goals, while meetings discuss how you’ve obtained them or where you need assistance. It would be beneficial to sit in leadership meetings just to observe and to connect with other leaders.
Why do you feel it is important for nurses to serve on boards?
Nurses are at the forefront of healthcare and we know what services are needed for our patients and communities. Nurses being on boards would ensure that those needs are communicated and addressed for our patients and communities.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to nurses serving on boards?
Time is a major issue. Most nurses are working full-time and many are attending school for their next degree. There is also frustration with not knowing opportunities to make a difference.
The Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) represents national nursing and other organizations working to build healthier communities in America by increasing nurses’ presence on corporate, health-related, and other boards, panels, and commissions.