Friday, 28 July 2017: 11:25 AM
Therese A. Fitzpatrick, PhD
Kaufman Hall & Associates, Skokie, IL, USA
There is a quiet revolution underway as the initials “RN” are appearing on corner office doors. The impact of our astounding talents is shaping corporations, health systems, and public policy across the nation. Smart, bold, and exceedingly talented nurses are blazing trails into domains once considered unheard of for nurses. Nurse leaders are running companies and health systems, becoming successful entrepreneurs and leading universities. These nurses are embracing their valuable nursing knowledge base and their unique perspectives on health and health care. Nurses possess the greatest breadth and depth of health care experience in hospitals, clinics, long-term care and the home. Nurses are a tremendous source of information on how to lower costs and raise the quality of care. They are leveraging this expertise in pursuit of the most strategic and powerful positions in government, academia, businesses, and health care organizations. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the storied careers of these leaders, in particular advice and candid accounts of both successes and failures.
The executive corner office nurses consistently report that their business and financial knowledge, skills, and perspectives positioned them well for their senior leadership or entrepreneurial roles. Their successes require study and analysis so that we can better understand what it takes to succeed in these positions of strategic importance. Leading an enterprise suggests that nurses should claim their rightful place on governance boards, a role which requires a deep understanding of our fiduciary and organizational performance responsibilities. As we rise through the levels of leadership, an evolving skill set is required to assume these sophisticated roles which require strategic insights and bold action. This session will share stories of executive nurse leaders who have demonstrated resiliency, capitalized on the power of their professional network, were keenly aware of their value, knew how to “talk the talk,” found the leadership role best aligned with their values, and leveraged their leadership brand.
