Nurse on Board: Planning Your Path to the Boardroom

The nurse’s voice is essential and critical to the governance of healthcare organizations. Nurses, after all, represent the largest professional group in healthcare, account for the greatest human resources expense, and-most importantly-are closest to patients and their families, physicians, and the community. But why do nurses hold only a small fraction of positions on healthcare boards? It’s time that NURSES get on boards!

With years of board leadership to her credit, author Connie Curran expertly provides the tools you need to attain and succeed in your first board role-or advance into ever-greater board responsibilities. Nurse on Board skillfully guides readers by sharing:

Best practices, data, and advice from seasoned board leaders

Explanations of different types of boards, how they work, their required skills and experiences, how they recruit new board members, and how you can best position yourself as a candidate.

How to develop, nurture, and leverage your personal and professional networks to ensure you are on the radar screen when board roles become available.

Publisher’s Note

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International would like to express its deep respect and admiration for the life and work of Connie Curran. Her passionate commitment toward empowering nurses to pursue and achieve positions of leadership will have a lasting impact on the profession and those who heeded her call to action. Her legacy of leadership resides in the words she left, the programs she built, and the actions of the people she inspired along the way.

-From Connie’s many friends and colleagues

from Sigma Theta Tau International

2nd Place 2016 AJN Book of the Year

Nurse on Board: Planning Your Path to the Boardroom Awarded second place in the 2016 AJN Book of the Year Awards in the History and Public Policy category.

Doody 5 Star Review

“This book describes how nurses can best serve on a board and provide their insights to other board members. This is an invaluable book for nurses and an impetus to prepare them for a much deserved place on a board. I wish that I had a book like this much earlier in my career.”

-Cynthia Lee Cummings, RN, MSN, EdD, CHSE(University of North Florida Brooks College of Health)

©Doody’s Review Service™

About the Author

Connie Curran, EdD, RN, FAAN, was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Best on Board, a national organization focused on educating and certifying healthcare trustees. The founding Executive Director of C-Change, she was also President and CEO of CurranCare LLC from 1995 to 2000 and later served as President of Cardinal Health Consulting Service. Most Recently, Ms. Curran was chair of the board of DeVry Education Group, Chamberlain School of Nursing, and Keller Graduate School of Management.