Kim Harper, Indiana Center for Nursing, speaks to nurse leaders and potential board members in Portland, Ore.

On June 9th, forty-five local nurses attended the “Plotting the Nurse’s Path to the Boardroom” workshop organized by the Oregon Action Coalition (OAC) and the Oregon Center for Nursing (OCN).

 
Sponsored by and held at the University of Portland, this workshop is part of the “Nurses on Board” initiative, a program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, OCN, Legacy Health System, OHSU, and OHSU School of Nursing, and designed to increase the number of nursing professionals prepared to serve on boards responsible for guiding health policy in Oregon.

Executive leadership coach Kimberly McNally, MN, RN spoke about the fundamentals of board service, and Indiana Center for Nursing Executive Director Kim Harper, MN, RN put the Oregon initiative into context with the national Nurses on Boards Coalition movement, which aims to place 10,000 nurses on boards by 2020.  Both Ms. McNally’s and Ms. Harper’s presentations included board related topics, including: how nurse board service adds value and makes  a difference, what are the roles and responsibilities of the board and trustees, what are the essential competencies all board members should possess, what are some of the best practices to follow, and finally how to navigate the board culture.

Local speakers Jake Creviston, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC and Renee’ Menkens, MS, RN shared their own experiences about serving on boards and what inspired them to become a trustee.  They also addressed how building a culture of health and board service intertwine.

At the end of the event, a panel of experts, including Ms. Harper, Joan Caley, RN, MS, CNS, CNL, NEA, BC from University of Portland and Washington State University, Vancouver, and Katherine Bradley, PhD, RN with OHSU School of Nursing, who answered questions and shared with the audience some of their most challenging board scenarios.

Based on feedback gathered after the event, the participants found the content of the workshop to be valuable and look forward to joining a board in a near future.  About half of the nurses who attended the workshop had some board experience, and many participants included students.

OAC and OCN will bring a version of this workshop to nurses in other areas of Oregon. The locations and schedule is still to be determined, so please stay tuned for updates!  In addition to workshops, OCN and OAC are creating a Boardroom Toolkit for nurses interested in additional leadership resources.  More information about the toolkit will also be coming soon.