Voice of the President | January 2022
Happy New Year! I’m honored and excited to be serving as the AONL president for the next two years. As nurse leaders, we’re living in unimaginable times. After facing a multitude of obstacles ranging from civil unrest to a global pandemic, we’re now being confronted with the aftermath. The pressures
we’re facing related to workforce shortages, unprecedented health care worker burnout, and financial constraints are unparalleled for many leaders.
These are also the challenges that unite us to work together and are the very issues that AONL is aiming to tackle in our 2022-2024 strategic plan. These topics are sure to spark interest and generate great discussion at our annual conference slated for San Antonio April 11-14. It will be our first time together since 2019 and the enthusiasm is already palpable!
As we kick-start our new year I want to recognize and thank our immediate past-president Mary Anne Fuchs. Looking back over the past two years, she has represented us on the national stage and has been an unwavering example of the impact nurse leaders can make. It has been an honor to serve alongside her and learn from her knowledge, wisdom and grace.
Serving as president of AONL is an opportunity I never imagined possible. I joined AONL as a member in 2008. I was a brand-new nurse manager aspiring to get into the 2009 Nurse Manager Fellowship program. I was suffering from burnout, imposter syndrome and considering leaving formal leadership and returning to the bedside. My experience that year transformed my career and provided the knowledge, tools and confidence I needed to be successful.
Over that 12-month journey, I went from burned out to having a burning platform. At the time, Pam Thompson was AONL CEO. She attended every fellowship retreat and as I whined (and yes, sometimes cried), she listened and mentored. Throughout our time together, she ignited a flame that burns bright today. She validated my feelings, helped build my confidence and very eloquently said, “You’re the bridge from our current state to the future state.”
As a result of that career-changing experience, I have been committed to paying it forward for the current and future generation of nurse leaders. The following year, I began serving on AONL committees. I started a DNP program, dedicating my studies to learning about generational differences and their impact on nurse leader burnout. Then, I received an opportunity of a lifetime and was invited to be one of the inaugural AONL-appointed board members representing early careerists. This “seat at the table” has been the catalyst propelling me forward ever since.
I joined the AONL Board of Directors in 2014. I served as an appointed board member for three years and then ran and was elected to represent Region 5 for an additional three years. That, combined with serving the last two years as president-elect might give me the title for the longest consecutive board member ever! When I finish my term as president, I will have served a decade, but I will look back on it as time well spent. During my tenure, I’ve had the pleasure to chair several task forces and committees including the Publications Committee, Membership Committee, and most recently (and perhaps most rewarding) the Diversity and Belonging Committee.
The reality is I gain more through participating in AONL than I could ever give back.
On my mission to pay it forward, I had a revelation. These committees, task forces and my time on the board have afforded me the opportunity to serve with some of the best and brightest leaders across the nation. In doing so, and true to the spirit of nursing, these individuals have mentored me; they have lifted me up during difficult times, they celebrated my accomplishments and they have helped make me into the leader I am today. The reality is I gain more through participating in AONL than I could ever give back.
During these years, I also have been fortunate to work for some incredible leaders and organizations, and both have supported and encouraged my AONL participation. In addition to my role as president, I’m beginning my fourth year as vice president and CNO for Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Ky. This position grants me the opportunity to blend two of my passions, pediatric health and nursing leadership, into one role. My team here – from the bedside to the executive suite – have supported and championed me every step of the way. These team members have my eternal gratitude and appreciation!
This year’s first edition of the Voice of Nursing Leadership is dedicated to innovation. This is a core value for nurse leaders, who have used it to overcome many challenges in the last two years. As noted earlier, AONL is kicking off a revised strategic plan this month. As we refreshed our priorities and objectives, AONL’s board and staff felt it was important for us to thread innovation into each priority.
In this issue we’ll hear from inspirational nurse leaders who have challenged status quo, thought differently and dared to disrupt through innovation. Each article is unique and highlights how nurses can be at the forefront of reshaping and redesigning systems to be more cost effective, efficient and sustainable. Also, take note of the Young Professional Voices honorees recognized in this issue. These already accomplished nurse leaders are our future and I’m betting we will hear more from them in the years to come.
Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to be partnering with our board, the AONL staff and our CEO Robyn Begley, who is also CNO for the American Hospital Association. Together we have the passion and commitment to fulfilling AONL’s mission to “Transform health care through expert and influential nursing leadership,” and our vision, “Nursing leadership–one voice advancing health for all.”