Nurses on Boards Coalition Urges ‘Be Counted’

The Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) is urging every nurse who serves on a board to register that service with the coalition and “Be Counted.” The NOBC believes all boards—whether local, state or national; in health care or in other arenas—benefit from the perspective nurses bring to the table. The coalition was created in response to the 2010 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which recommended increasing the number of nurse leaders in pivotal decision-making roles on boards and commissions as a means to improve the public’s health. In 2014, the NOBC set a goal of at least 10,000 nurses serving on boards by the end of 2020. With 13 months to go, the organization is redoubling its efforts. To date, 6,821 nurses have registered their board service with the organization. Former AONL Board Chair Pam Rudisill, DNP, RN, is AONL’s representative to the NOBC board and serves as chair-elect.