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 themselves on a path toward board membership. She suggests the following steps as a starting point:

  1. Make contact with nursing leadership and offer to join staff meetings.
  2. Seek mentorship from nonnurse board members to learn more about the various issues addressed by boards outside the realm of nursing, like budgeting and marketing.
  3. “Vigorously” seize opportunities to grow, learn, and advance.
  4. Join professional organizations that seek to improve health care and that advocate for governance and policy issues.

Resources

Marcus also recommends exploring the website of the Nurses on Boards Coalition—an organization that is coordinating an effort to have 10,000 nurses on boards by 2020. It offers numerous resources for nurses seeking information about board membership, such as webinars on board basics, roles, and responsibilities; videos on board meeting simulation; training modules; and links to educational leadership opportunities. The American Academy of Nursing’s Institute for Nursing Leadership also offers resources on nurses and the boardroom, including a webinar and a list of suggested readings.

For more, read “Get on Board with Being on a Board” (free until January 15) in AJN’s December issue, and listen to a podcast with Marcus here.