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Board Leadership Development: The Key to


Effective Nursing Leadership in the 21st Century
Elizabeth A. Carlson, PhD, RN, Marilyn Klakovich, DNSc, RN, NEA, BC, Sharon K. Broscious,
RN, DSN, Sandi Delack, RN, MEd, NCSN, Maria Roche-Dean, MS, RN, Kristin Hittle, RN,
MSN, CPNC-AC, CCRN, Mansour Olawale Jumaa, DProf, CMgr, MBA, RN, FWACN,
Mary W. Stewart, PhD, RN, and Prissana Alston, MA, RN, NEA-BC

HOW TO OBTAIN CONTact hours BY


READING THIS ISSUE abstract
Instructions: 2.3 contact hours will be awarded for this activity. A contact This article discusses the need for board leadership de-
hour is 60 minutes of instruction. This is a Learner-paced Program. Vindico
Medical Education does not require submission of the quiz answers. A contact velopment of nurses. The authors provide an overview of the
hour certificate will be awarded 4-6 weeks following receipt of your completed Sigma Theta Tau International Board Leadership Develop-
Registration Form, including the Evaluation portion. To obtain contact hours:
ment program based on the experiences of nine Fellows who
1. Read the article: “Board Leadership Development: The Key to Effective
Nursing Leadership in the 21st Century,” on pages 107-113, carefully completed the program. Elements necessary for a self-devel-
noting the tables and other illustrative materials that are provided to oped board leadership development program are present-
enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content.
2. Read each question and record your answers. After completing all
ed. Rationale is discussed as to why the Sigma Theta Tau
questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. Board Leadership Development program and future similar
3. Type or print your full name and address and your Social Security number programs need to include the critical success factors in the
in the spaces provided on the Registration Form. Indicate the total time
spent on the activity (reading article and completing quiz). Forms and development of nurses as board members. The authors dis-
quizzes cannot be processed if this section is incomplete. All participants cuss the variety of professional and personal benefits of a
are required by the accreditation agency to attest to the time spent
completing the activity. program of this importance.
4. Forward the completed Registration Form with your check or money order J Contin Educ Nurs 2011;42(3):107-113.
for $15 made payable to JCEN-CNE. Payment must be in U.S. dollars
drawn on a U.S. bank. This activity is valid from March 1, 2011, to February
28, 2013.
Vindico Medical Education is an approved provider of continuing nursing Dr. Carlson is Associate Professor, Rush University College of
education by the New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited Nursing, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Klakovich is Director of Continuing
approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission
on Accreditation. P188-6/09-12.
Education, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California; and Online
Faculty, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Broscious is As-
This activity is co-provided by Vindico Medical Education and The Journal of
Continuing Education in Nursing. sociate Professor and Program Director, South University, Richmond,
Objectives: After studying the article, “Board Leadership Development: The
Virginia. Ms. Delack is President, National Association of School
Key to Effective Nursing Leadership in the 21st Century,” in this issue, the Nurses, Silver Spring, Maryland. Ms. Roche-Dean is Faculty Member,
participant will: SUNY Institute of Technology Utica/Rome, New York. Ms. Hittle is
1. Discuss the critical need for board leadership development for nurses.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Tex-
as. Dr. Jumaa is Chartered Manager, Executive Business Coach, and
2. Describe the Sigma Theta Tau International Board Leadership Development
program and its components. CMI Program Director, Centre for Knowledge at Work, West Sussex,
3. Discuss the role mentors have in creating future board members.
United Kingdom. Dr. Stewart is Professor and Director of the PhD
Program, School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Cen-
4. Explain the benefits and barriers of a board leadership development pro-
gram. ter, Jackson, Mississippi. Ms. Alston is Assistant Vice President, Bronx,
5. Discuss the elements necessary for a self-developed board leadership
Lebanon Hospital, Bronx, New York.
program. The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests
AUTHOR DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this
activity, including research support.
The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any
product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, in- Presented in part at the Sigma Theta Tau International 40th Biennial
cluding research support. Conference, October 31 to November 4, 2009, Indianapolis, Indiana.
COMMERCIAL SUPPORT STATEMENT Address correspondence to Elizabeth A. Carlson, PhD, RN, Rush
All author(s) and planners have agreed that this activity will be free of bias. University College of Nursing, Department of Adult and Gerontologi-
There is no commercial company support for this activity. There is no noncom- cal Health, 1064D Armour Academic Center, 600 S. Paulina, Chicago,
mercial support for this activity. IL 60612. E-mail: elizabeth_carlson@rush.edu.
Received: June 4, 2010; Accepted: October 19, 2010; Posted: De-
cember 8, 2010.
doi:10.3928/00220124-20101201-03

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 42, No 3, 2011 107


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S igma Theta Tau International (STTI), through its In-


ternational Leadership Institute, has responded to
member requests and “focused on developing leader-
continue to advocate for their patients and ensure quality
evidence-based care. Nurses are obligated to lead the way
in defining and setting safe standards of care and work-
ship by supporting honor society members’ contribu- ing with administrators and policymakers to ensure that
tions to the health of their communities and the world” these standards are met. Prybil (2007) cited a 2006 survey
(STTI, 2005, p. 6). STTI defined a leader as “someone of governing board oversight of the quality of patient care
who influences people, organizations, and situations to in 562 hospitals, in which 65% of the respondents (365 of
bring about transforming change (in clinical, education, 562) indicated that “nurses are . . . ‘involved in setting the
administration, research, and policy)” (STTI, 2005, pp. quality agenda for the organization’” (p. 2). Nurses not
5-6). only set the quality agenda at the organizational level but
The basic qualities of leadership—such as vision, also should—and must—assume board leadership roles to
passion, integrity, and tenacity, in addition to strong exercise their leadership expertise in a broader forum.
communication skills, the ability to collaborate, and a A new survey, Nursing Leadership From Bedside
willingness to share and take risks—are in part what to Boardroom: Opinion Leaders’ Perceptions (Robert
bring individuals into the nursing profession. Given Wood Johnson Foundation, 2010), found that an over-
their unique sensitivity to patients within the context of whelming majority of opinion leaders say that nurses
family and community, nurses inherently are expected should have more influence in every area of health care,
to be leaders. Nurses must be able to synthesize stimuli from reducing medical errors to increasing the quality
from the world around them and make sense of the in- of care, promoting wellness, improving efficiency, and
formation to provide the best care and education for cutting costs. However, these opinion leaders—who
patients and families. Nurses understand how to work include insurance, corporate, health services, govern-
within a team, sometimes as leader, always as learner, ment, and industry thought leaders, as well as univer-
and sometimes in a more flexible role in which they sity faculty—see significant barriers that prevent nurses
must assent to perform other key functions. Because from fully participating as leaders in health and health
the ultimate goal of leadership is to create a link to the care. In response to the survey results, Reed V. Tuckson,
future so that the profession may continue to advance Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs,
and flourish for the benefit of the population it serves, UnitedHealth Group, noted, “It is essential that we do
STTI created the Board Leadership Development more to support nurses in taking on leadership positions
(BLD) program under the auspices of the International and ensure that they have a place and a voice at deci-
Leadership Institute. sion-making tables” (Robert Wood Johnson Founda-
This article discusses the need for nurses to serve tion, 2010, ¶ 8).
in board-level leadership positions. A strong case can
be made for the development of nurses to assume Board Leadership Development
board-level leadership. STTI identified this need and The need for nursing leadership at the board level
developed the BLD program for the express purpose is clear. Prybil (2009) stated that boards have long rec-
of developing board leaders. This article provides an ognized physician involvement in hospital governance,
overview of the STTI BLD program based on the ex- but nursing involvement is not as prevalent. In 2005, a
periences of Fellows, discusses critical success factors study of 14 U.S. nonprofit general hospitals found that
in the development of nurses as board members, and 52 (26%) of 203 board positions were held by physi-
describes a self-created alternative to the BLD for in- cians, whereas a mere 2%, or 4 of 203 board positions,
dividual nurses who are interested in becoming board were held by nurses (Prybil, 2007; Prybil et al., 2005).
members. Similar results were seen on review of nonprofit com-
munity health systems. Only 48 (2.4%) of 2,046 voting
The Need for Leadership Development board members were nurses. A slightly higher percent-
Nursing Leadership age of nurses (3.7%) serve on boards for systems that
Because of the current turbulent state of the health care are part of larger parent organizations than serve on
industry, the need for effective leadership is increasing. As boards for independent systems (1.6%). The percent-
a result, there is a growing demand from key stakeholders age of physicians serving as voting board members for
for nursing leadership. For the eighth consecutive year, re- these boards remains similar to previous reports, at
spondents to Gallup’s annual survey of professions voted approximately 22% (Prybil, 2007; Prybil et al., 2005).
nursing the most trusted profession in the United States These data show that nurses are not sufficiently repre-
(Saad, 2009). To maintain this level of trust, nurses must sented on hospital boards, and efforts to increase their

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involvement on boards should be encouraged and sup- However, to date, there are few formal mentoring and
ported through professional development or continu- educational programs for nurses who want to serve on
ing education activities. national or international boards or in leadership posi-
Organizations often groom leaders for positions be- tions (Zarnitz, 2006).
fore elevating them to leadership roles within the or- Nurses must look to the business world and model
ganization. Leadership development occurs through leadership training after examples found there. Through-
both formal and informal education, thus allowing an out their careers, leaders in business benefit from infor-
easier transition into a leadership position and increas- mal leadership education. Programs designed to support
ing a leader’s capacity to have an effect. Executive skills a professional’s development to serve as a board member
are valuable and enrich one’s career. In business, where have shown benefits (Paton, Mordaunt, & Cornforth,
maintaining global leadership is vital to sustainability, 2007; Steinert, Nasmith, McLeod, & Conochie, 2003).
corporate leaders view networking and mentoring as Through formal education focused on advancing board
professional obligations. Development of professional leadership skills, participants are reminded of skills they
leaders in the workplace can result in leadership in other use daily that are essential to formal leadership. Formal
noncorporate forums as well (Ketter, 2007). leadership development instills confidence and builds the
The structure of many organizations results in nu- participant’s energy to serve (Novak, 2007). With formal
merous tiers of leaders. Although each level of leader- mentoring occurring in other professions successfully,
ship has a sphere of influence, leadership at the board application of these same principles by the nursing pro-
level is responsible for creating the vision and mission of fession is essential to ensure the presence of a nursing
an organization. Therefore, to exert as much influence as voice in global leadership.
possible, nurses must serve as board members. Board leadership mentoring for nurses provides an
opportunity for emerging nursing leaders to harness
Nursing Leadership Development the intellectual capital of the best and brightest already
Nursing education focuses primarily on understand- serving on national and international boards. Leadership
ing the science of human beings, caring for patients, and development offers the opportunity for future nurse
working in a collaborative health care environment. leaders to understand the direction of the profession and
General leadership education is introduced, but is not convey this message in a way that increases nursing’s
a primary focus of nursing education. The skills nurses visibility in a positive manner. STTI’s BLD program ad-
gain at the bedside and in midlevel management positions dresses this need.
are transferable to other situations and settings; nursing According to Jumaa (2008), the BLD program devel-
leaders must help novice nurses to recognize these skills ops a board-level nurse leader who will be a mapmaker
and understand their application in more complex orga- and keen participant in the process of knowledge cre-
nizations requiring higher-level skills. ation while enhancing personal meaning and promot-
Nurses possess the capacity to lead and often provide ing useful and relevant nursing and health care practice.
leadership thorough mentoring, although they tend to In essence, the BLD program creates nurse leaders at
carry out these duties unobtrusively on a one-on-one the board level who have the capability to move beyond
basis. The consequence of this quiet leadership is the subject- and discipline-specific expertise and engage
diminished visibility of nurses in these leadership roles. with what Schon (1987) termed the “swampy lowland”
The process of nursing leadership education tends to oc- of practice. Jumaa and Picard (2008) asserted that the
cur informally through professional development activi- BLD program increases knowledge, skills, and attitudes
ties and daily responsibilities (Tourangeau, 2003). in the following areas: the core aspects of trusteeship; an
The nursing profession must be deliberate about organization’s vision, mission, and strategic goals; fidu-
bringing attention to the leadership it provides. Because ciary responsibilities of a board; board and staff part-
of their depth of knowledge and wide array of skills, nerships; strategic thinking and planning; and genera-
nurses are perfectly poised to serve on national and in- tive governance.
ternational boards. Cultivating the innate leadership
abilities of nurses by giving them the opportunity to fill The Sigma Theta Tau International Board
board leadership roles supports and encourages the ap- Leadership Development Program
propriate formal education and development of future STTI created the BLD program in 2004 as part of
nurse leaders. Whether serving within health care orga- the Leadership Institute. This 2-year program prepares
nizations or within the community, nurses who partici- nurse leaders to participate on national and international
pate in formal leadership education reap many benefits. boards. Through a structured educational program, the

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 42, No 3, 2011 109


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SIDEBAR 1
Board Leadership Development Readings
Year 1
Ingram, R. T. (2003). Ten basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Book One of the BoardSource Governance Series, Revised Edition.
Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Lang, A. S. (2007). Financial responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Book Two of the BoardSource Governance Series, Revised Edition.
Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Dambach, C. F. (2003). Structures and practices of nonprofit boards. Book Three of the BoardSource Governance Series. Washington,
DC: BoardSource.
Greenfield, J. M. (2003). Fundraising responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Book Four of the BoardSource Governance Series. Washing-
ton, DC: BoardSource.
Hopkins, B. R. (2007). Legal responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Book Five of the BoardSource Governance Series, Revised Edition.
Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Grace, K. S. (2003). The nonprofit board’s role in setting and advancing the mission. Book Six of the BoardSource Governance Series.
Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Yankey, J. A., & McClellan, A. (2003). The nonprofit board’s role in planning and evaluation. Book Seven of the BoardSource Gover-
nance Series. Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Chait, R. P. (2003). How to help your board govern more and manage less. Book Eight of the BoardSource Governance Series, Re-
vised Edition. Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Gale, R. L. (2003). Leadership roles in nonprofit governance. Book Nine of the BoardSource Governance Series. Washington, DC:
BoardSource.
Year 2
Chait, R. P., Ryan, W. P., & Taylor, B. E. (2005). Governance as leadership: Reframing the work of nonprofit boards. Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons.

participants develop the requisite knowledge and skills coordinators posed questions and the Fellows shared re-
to be effective board members. sponses based on readings and board experiences. The
The authors were Fellows in the BLD program, which nine BoardSource books provided an excellent overview
began with the application process on the STTI website and reinforced the key concepts covered in the continu-
(www.nursingsociety.org). The requirements included ing education program. A second-year reading list was
submission of the application form, a personal state- also provided (Sidebar 1).
ment of interest, a résumé, a letter of endorsement from The final component of the program was the identifi-
a chapter or employer, and a professional or personal let- cation of a board member who served as a mentor to the
ter of endorsement. A fee is required for participation in Fellow. The mentor facilitated entrée to a board and al-
the program. lowed shadowing to observe the role of board members.
After acceptance into the program, the Fellows at- Fellows discussed their observations with their mentors
tended a 3-day continuing education course focused on and made comparisons between the board functions ob-
the core aspects of nonprofit board leadership presented served and information gained from the readings. At the
by nursing leaders from STTI. Key concepts covered in conclusion of Phase II of the BLD, Fellows were expect-
the course included leadership styles, board versus or- ed to “be familiar with reliable sources of information
ganization staff roles and responsibilities, development and continuing education on governance to support life-
and fundraising, legal issues, stewardship and generative long learning related to board leadership development”
governance, and strategic thinking. The Fellows assessed (STTI, n.d.). Key content and learning acquired during
their personal leadership and governance competencies. this phase included professional respect among board
This information was used to devise a personal action members and the ability to disagree but work together;
plan that pinpointed specific BLD content and mentor- observation and clarification of board members’ roles;
ing development needs (STTI, n.d.). The Fellows be- the board’s focus on the mission and vision of the organi-
came acquainted and built relationships, not only among zation in guiding board decisions; and the importance of
themselves but also with other STTI members, leaders, diverse backgrounds and perspectives of board members.
and staff members. On completion of the BLD program, Fellows earned up
Another component of the program involved re- to 100 contact hours for continuing education. To date,
quired readings and online discussions, in which BLD 39 Fellows have completed the program.

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SIDEBAR 2
guidelines for a self-created board leadership program
A self-created program can be developed, but it is important to ensure that critical success factors, features of the process that are of
particular importance for program participants (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2005), are included. Failure to design programs that
address critical success factors make the program ineffective. Two critical success factors are identified as necessary for an effec-
tive board leadership development program: knowledge input and the role of mentors in the program. Knowledge input results in a
certain common language necessary to execute the board leadership role effectively. The role of mentors, although rooted in practice,
nevertheless requires that each mentor assigned to the program have relevant board leadership development knowledge (Nonaka,
1991). The success of any board leadership development program demands a symbiotic relationship between theory and practice and
a seamless integration of tacit and explicit knowledge, making the role of the mentor of crucial importance. The success of a program
of this nature relies on anticipating and overcoming certain barriers. A program meeting the lifelong learning needs of the professional
nurse can be developed through an individual, learner-created, self-paced, self-directed program on board membership, using numer-
ous websites that provide introductory information about nonprofit or corporate board membership, organization, and governance, and
the roles of members.
Formal classes—such as conferences, webinars, or academic offerings—that are noncredit or continuing education or that result in
undergraduate or graduate credits are available. Informal learning is available through reputable websites or by reviewing any of the
many books available on board membership and board roles (Sidebar 1). All of these educational support materials help to identify
best practices for the role of a board member.
The most important aspect of a self-directed program is the board experience itself. Organizations that fit one’s interests and expertise
in health care can be identified through web searching (Dawson & Freed, 2008). Selection of an organization that stimulates one’s
passion enriches the board experience. It is important to identify several organizations that are of interest and meet one’s personal
needs, while considering location, distance, and time commitment. Evans (2009) suggested considering opportunities to participate
on boards of local nonprofit hospitals as a starting point. In addition, there are several websites available that assist in matching an
individual’s expertise with boards that have a need. When reviewing possible board experiences, it is important to be aware that, in
addition to expertise, nonprofit boards may be interested in diversifying their membership, based on ethnic/racial considerations, age,
experience, or skill sets (Daley, 2002).
Before contacting the executive director or the president of the board to make an introduction and discuss plans for the mentorship
experience, it is important to learn about the organization. Having an understanding of the organization and board operations demon-
strates a commitment to the experience by being prepared. The mentorship plan should include a curriculum vitae (résumé), previous
leadership experiences or skills, goals for the mentorship experience, the mentor’s responsibilities, and the time frame. The final step
in this learning process is active attendance at board meetings throughout the planned mentorship experience. The knowledge gained
from the mentorship experience provides the foundation for participation as a leader on the local, national, or international board level.

Benefits and Barriers to Participating ment and planning, through their mentors. The types
in a Board Leadership Development of opportunities afforded to the Fellows included par-
Program ticipation in pivotal organizational governance changes
Board membership by nurses is needed; thus, a for a national organization, publication, involvement in
strong case exists for the development of nurses to as- the strategic planning process, and board-level political
sume board-level leadership. Nurses possess many of activism.
the skills required for board positions; however, further Benefits to the individual Fellows occurred on both
development of these skills requires two complementary a personal and a professional level. Board membership
approaches. Knowledge specific to board leadership is provides nurses with an exciting opportunity to estab-
needed, and can then be applied in an experiential man- lish or work with an organization whose focus connects
ner. For adult learners, learning occurs best when it takes with their own passions. As professionals, nurses are
place in a meaningful setting and when current or new committed to lifelong learning, and they look to broad-
knowledge is applied immediately. The best way to learn en their knowledge base in many areas. Knowledge
board leadership is to be immersed in the experience. specific to board function and skills gained can benefit
Knowledge acquisition alone is inadequate for skill de- nurses not only in board leadership positions, but also
velopment. with employers, professional organizations, and volun-
The Fellows found that immersion in board activities teer groups. Board membership broadens a nurse’s scope
through working with their mentors was a key factor of influence as a change agent. It is at the board level
in meeting their professional objectives. Mentors held that nursing expertise shapes the programs and services
national or international board positions, such as presi- made available to the community that the organization
dent, president elect, vice president, chief executive of- serves. The board experience provides networking op-
ficer, and chief operating officer. Fellows had access to portunities with individuals or groups with whom the
the organizational work of boards, including manage- nurse may not typically interact. A board leadership role

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 42, No 3, 2011 111


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Not all nurses who are interested in developing board


key points leadership skills can avail themselves of a structured pro-
gram as previously described. Alternative approaches
Nursing Leadership
Carlson, E. A., Klakovich, M., Broscious, S. K., Delack, S., Roche-
to the formalized BLD program exist and are described
Dean, M., Hittle, K., Jumaa, M. O., Stewart, M. W., Alston, P. (2011). in Sidebar 2. Sidebar 2 shows suggested critical success
Board Leadership Development: The Key to Effective Nursing factors and how to proceed with the development of a
Leadership in the 21st Century. The Journal of Continuing Edu- learner-created program.
cation in Nursing, 42(3), 107-113.
Conclusion
1 Board leadership is a natural extension of using the expertise
of nurses.
Nurses can make substantive contributions that stem
from a realistic understanding of board functions. When
nurses participate in opportunities for BLD, they are
2 Nurses have a broad perspective on the world and can act as
change agents. preparing for a seat at “the table.” Huston and Thomp-
son stated it clearly: “The chief responsibility of the

3 Effective board leadership can be learned through knowledge


and experience.
board is to be effective on behalf of the organization”
(C. J. Huston, President of STTI, & P. E. Thompson,
CEO of STTI, personal communication, June 2008).
Regardless of the mission of the organization, devel-
increases the visibility of nursing as a profession and of opment of nurses as board members will result in their
the individual nurse associated with a specific agency or knowledge and skills influencing board decisions and
institution. Board membership allows the professional improving the effectiveness of the organization. For this
nurse to give back to the community, whether on a local, reason, nurses must participate in board leadership de-
national, or international level. velopment activities to prepare them to assume board-
Additional benefits include the development of strong level leadership.
professional relationships among the Fellows. Collabo-
ration by networking and sharing professional opportu- References
nities models the process learned in the BLD program. Daley, J. M. (2002). An action guide for nonprofit board diversity.
Journal of Community Practice, 10(1), 33-54.
The Fellows presented their experience as BLD Fellows
Dawson, S., & Freed, P. E. (2008). Nurse leadership: Making the most
at the STTI’s 40th Biennial Conference, in Indianapolis, of community service. The Journal of Continuing Education in
Indiana, October 31 to November 4, 2009, as a way to Nursing, 39(6), 268-273.
inform nurses of the opportunities offered though this Evans, M. (2009). A different nursing shortage: While nurses govern pa-
program and the role of nurses in board leadership po- tient floors at not-for-profit hospitals, few do the same on boards—
but that’s beginning to change. Modern Healthcare, 39(15), 28-30.
sitions. Recognition of the knowledge and skills gained
Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R. (2005). Exploring corpo-
through this program has resulted in increased Fellow rate strategy: Text and cases (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT
participation in STTI and other professional organiza- Prentice Hall.
tions. Jumaa, M. O. (2008). The ‘F.E.E.L.’ good factors in nursing leadership
The types of barriers that may hinder the effective at the board level through work-based learning. Journal of Nursing
Management, 16(8), 992-999.
development of nurses as leaders on boards are multi-
Jumaa, M., & Picard, C. (2008). Leadership: Service to the honor
factorial. The barriers are related to resources: time, hu- society. Reflections on Nursing Leadership, 34(3). Retrieved
man, energy/estates/equipment, information, material, from www.reflectionsonnursingleadership.com/Pages/Vol34_3_
and money (Phillips, 2005). BLD Fellows encountered members_soc_Jumaa_Picard.aspx
many of these barriers. Fellows noted the differences Ketter, P. (2007). Leadership and learning. Training and Development,
61(3), 8.
in skills between mentors. Some mentors were more
Nonaka, I. (1991). The knowledge-creating company. Harvard Busi-
knowledgeable about the role than others. This created ness Review, 69, 96-104.
what Nonaka (1991) termed the “knowing-doing gap.” Novak, C. (2007). Match made. Training and Development, 61(3), 40-
In some cases, this gap resulted in a lack of effective 44.
transfer of the relevant knowledge that forms the basis Paton, R., Mordaunt, J., & Cornforth, C. (2007). Beyond nonprofit
management education leadership development in a time of blurred
for leadership actions at the board level. Inconsistency
boundaries and distributed learning. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sec-
in mentoring experiences could be addressed by provid- tor Quarterly, 36(Suppl. 4), 148S-162S.
ing the mentors with the goals of the BLD program, the Phillips J. (2005). Knowledge is power: Using nursing information
educational materials used by the Fellows, and a clear set management and leadership interventions to improve services to
of mentor expectations. patients, clients and users. Journal of Nursing Management, 13,

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524–536. Schon D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco,


Prybil, L. D. (2007). Nursing involvement in hospital governance. CA: Jossey-Bass.
Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 22(1), 1-3. Sigma Theta Tau International. (2005). Resource paper on leadership and
Prybil, L. D. (2009). Engaging nurses in governing hospitals and health leadership development priorities. Available at www.nursingsociety.
systems. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 24(1), 5-9. org/aboutus/PositionPapers/Documents/position_leadership.doc
Prybil, L., Peterson, R., Price, J., Levey, S., Kruempel, D., & Brez- Sigma Theta Tau International. (n.d.). Board leadership development
inski, P. (2005). Governance in high-performing organizations: A program. Indianapolis, IN: Author.
comparative study of governing boards in not-for-profit hospitals. Steinert, Y., Nasmith, L., McLeod, P., & Conochie, L. (2003). A teach-
Chicago, IL: Health Research and Educational Trust. ing scholars program to develop leaders in medical education. Aca-
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2010). Nursing leadership from demic Medicine, 78(2), 142.
bedside to boardroom: Opinion leaders’ perceptions. Retrieved from Tourangeau, A. E. (2003). Building nurse leader capacity. Journal of
www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=54350 Nursing Administration, 33(12), 624-626.
Saad, L. (2009). Honesty and ethics poll finds Congress’ image tar- Zarnitz, P. (2006). Mentoring future leaders: The midwinter SOHN
nished. Gallup poll. Retrieved from www.gallup.com/poll/124625/ board meeting guest attendee program. ORL Head and Neck
Honesty-Ethics-Poll-Finds-Congress-Image-Tarnished.aspx Nursing, 24(3), 13-15.

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 42, No 3, 2011 113


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