Breaking onto Boards: Tips for Nurses
Photo by Steve Debenport / Istock.com.
A 2014 survey by the American Hospital Association found that nurses—the largest group of health care professionals—held just 5% of hospital board seats (by comparison, physicians held 20%). It goes without saying that health care organizations stand to gain valuable insight and leadership by including more nurses in the boardroom. But as discussed by Blima Marcus in this month’s Professional Development column, nurses face many barriers to getting a seat at the table. These include:
- the perception of nurses as “background” care providers rather than leaders
- the tendency of board members and executives to nominate candidates who they are already familiar with and who work in a similar field
- lacking the knowledge and skills needed to serve on a board (i.e., leadership and organizational skills)
- not being a part of the socioeconomic class often associated with board membership—often, members are asked to make donations to their organizations
Overcoming the barriers
While these barriers may seem daunting, Marcus notes that there are practical actions nurses can take to put […]
Nurses in all settings are doing important work and making a difference, and we want to highlight them and the good work they do. AJN’s Profiles column highlights the diverse ways in which nurses contribute their leadership, compassion, and talent to enhance patient care directly in their institutions or through innovations in policy, research, or education that have had far-reaching impact.