Chamberlain Supports the Nurses on Boards Coalition through Strategic Partnership

In the modern healthcare system, nurses are uniquely qualified to integrate their experience and decision-making skills and are increasingly looked to for their influence in reducing medical errors and patient safety, improving quality of care, reducing costs and increasing access to healthcare. Boards can benefit from the unique perspective of nurses to achieve the goals of improved health and efficient and effective healthcare systems at the local, state and national levels.

I am excited to share that Chamberlain College of Nursing and the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) announced the culmination of our year-long work developing a long-term strategic partnership. This Founding Strategic Partnership has two goals:

1. Increase awareness of the significant impact nurses can have on healthcare through service on boards at every level.

2. Co-create programs to help nurses develop the competencies and readiness to serve on boards. Chamberlain has committed to supporting the work of the Coalition for a minimum of five years and will collaborate with the Coalition to accomplish the organization’s goals, positively impacting a culture of heath through the transformation of healthcare.

Chamberlain will assist the Coalition’s goal of ensuring at least 10,000 nurses are on boards by 2020, and raise awareness about how boards can benefit from the unique perspective of nurses.

We are excited about our Founding Strategic Partnership with the NOBC as it exemplifies our alignment around the vision, mission and purpose of empowering extraordinary nurses to step into leadership roles and have a significant impact on healthcare from bedside to boardroom.

Many of Chamberlain’s own nurse leaders serve in leadership roles for various organizations, including:

• Dawn Gubanc-Anderson, DNP, MSN, RN, NE-A, BC, FACHE, Chamberlain associate professor Gubanc-Anderson was recently appointed as trustee for the Lake Health System Board of Trustees and is responsible for oversight of the organization's quality and strategic initiatives as well as contributing to the strategic planning committee of the board. She also serves on the advisory committee for the American Organization of Nurse Executives Education Board, which aims to review priorities and develop educational offerings.

• Julie McAfooes, MS, RN-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, Chamberlain web development manager McAfooes serves as a steering committee member for the Ohio Action Coalition (OAC) on behalf of the Ohio League for Nursing, one of the leaders of the OAC. The OAC fulfills the mission of the national Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action through workgroups that mobilize nurses and consumers at the state level to promote academic progression, workforce data analysis, and leadership and inter-professional education.

• Adele Webb, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, Chamberlain Cleveland campus president

Webb serves as a partner with the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing on their Non-Communicable Disease Initiative and is committed to providing access to advanced education to Seychelles nurse educators. Additionally, Webb was recently elected as president-elect of the Greater Cleveland Nurses Association, part of the Ohio Nurses Association.

Nurses, including Chamberlain colleagues and alumni, will have the support needed to participate on boards where they can make significant contributions to healthcare through the development of programs that improve nurses’ leadership skills and competencies.

If you are a nurse and already serving on a board, please make sure you register on the NOBC’s site at nursesonboardscoalition.org.

I look forward to seeing the impact that can be made as we continue to elevate the role of the nurse and the contributions made towards building a culture of health. Please join me in celebrating this exciting partnership!

By Susan Groenwald