3 Ways to Make the Leap from the Bedside to the Boardroom

As a nurse, you have invaluable experience on the front lines taking care of your patients each day. While it’s essential for hospital boards to have that type of day-to-day clinical insight, many boards are missing nurse representation. In fact, the American Hospital Association reports that a meager six percent of hospital boards include nurses.

Part of the problem is that many nurses say they don’t feel prepared to serve on a hospital board according to a recent Advisory Board article. They encourage nurses to take 3 key steps to get ready for a seat at the boardroom table.

1. Find out which skills your board is lacking

Most hospital boards look for a diverse group of competencies from their members. If you have set your sight on being considered to serve on a board, find out what your hospital needs and work on building your resume to shine in these areas so there is no question about the value you will bring.

2. Take on a community leadership role

Serving on a community non-profit board is an excellent way to prepare yourself to serve on your hospital’s board. You can gain firsthand experience on how to participate in board meetings and get acquainted with the roles and responsibilities of each board member in the non-professional setting.

3. Get to know the mission and goals of your hospital board

Understanding the long-term goals and mission of your hospital board is the best way to determine how you can contribute to it. Talk to people who serve on the board to get a sense of what’s important to the organization as well as what the future needs may be.

The most important thing to acknowledge is that no one is ever 100% “ready” to serve on a board. On-the-job training is par for the course. But, if you take the three steps recommended in this article, you put yourself in an excellent position to be ready to rise to the occasion to serve.

To learn more about making your transition to the boardroom, read the entire Advisory Board article here.