In the book, Organizationally Minded Nursing Leadership,1 authors Catherine Gilliss, Bobbie Berkowitz, Jean Johnson, Paula Milone-Nuzzo, and Pat Reid Ponte have worked together to share their wisdom, learnings, and application of evidence to help nurse executives become more effective. The value of having a mentor is clear including having a more experienced nurse share advice, counsel, and offer perspectives to a less experienced nurse on their leadership journey. Mentors also benefit. Mentorship provides an opportunity to give back to the profession and offers energy and a new perspective to the mentee as well. As author Paula Milone-Nuzzo shares, "As leaders navigate challenges over the course of their careers, so much is learned that can help the next generation of leaders avoid the 'potholes' that make leading difficult" (personal conversation with Paula Milone-Nuzzo, May 23, 2023). Similarly, Bobbie Berkowitz shares, "I took my mentors many lessons[horizontal ellipsis] and applied them to lead in complex organizations."1(p.xxi) Sharing those learnings is a way to support future leaders and the nursing profession. "Although I had heard all the presentations and read all the articles on the importance of having a mentor, it was not until I had a mentor that I realized how important it really was" (Paula Milone-Nuzzo).1(p.xxiii)
Leaving a Legacy
Legacy is defined as "the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, and contributions that took place in the past, or of a person's life."2 Legacy building is connected to your purpose in life and what you hope your career will contribute to the future. Author Catherine Gilliss reports that being intentional about building your legacy leads to positive outcomes, hopefully leaving the profession in a better place.1(p.xix) Leaving a legacy in nursing requires focusing on and deciding what you want in nursing to be better because of your efforts
I want to support those who will now take the reins! Leading requires preparation and I want to support the success of those who are willing to take on these leadership responsibilities (personal conversation with Catherine Gilliss, May 23, 2023).
Leadership as Evidence Based
Basing the practice of leadership on evidence includes multiple sources, not just limited to research studies, and includes leadership experience and feedback from followers. Leadership is results oriented. Measuring the outcomes of leadership in healthcare includes success in improvements in quality of care, patient, nurse and student satisfaction, access to care, and cost.
This collective effort was aimed at disseminating evidence-based organizational leadership practices augmented by our own experiences. We consider it a way of contributing to exceptional healthcare for all by adding to the knowledge base of current and emerging nurse leaders in both health services and academia (personal conversation with Pat Reid Ponte, May 17, 2023).
Leading the Way Into the Future
As a profession, we have digested 2 National Academy of Medicine national study reports aimed at strengthening the future of nursing.3,4 The leadership skills that are needed in the future, are not only to react and follow, but also to lead, and can be informed by the words and experiences, storytelling, and wisdom sharing of nurse leaders who have come before us. These are nurse leaders who have paved a way through many challenges, especially working in complex healthcare organizations. The future must include working together to dismantle structural racism in the nursing profession across all sectors of academia and practice. Nursing as a profession must work to strengthen and diversify our workforce. Leading the way into the future will require courage, skill, and execution.
Leader is not simply a title. The future of healthcare is in the hands of nurses and effective nurse leaders are critical. My personal purpose is to give leaders and future leaders tools and challenges that will enhance their capacity to see into the future, inspire, create a humanistic culture, show compassion, and be willing to take risks in service to providing the best care to patients and be a disruptor to create a more effective and patient centered health system (personal conversation with Jean Johnson, June 1, 2023).
Conclusion
Nurses have an opportunity to change lives every day. Many times, we are not aware of the impact we have made on patients and their families, colleagues, direct reports, and students. These 5 nurse leaders have taken the time to examine their careers, reflect on their contributions, and share their successes and challenges with an eye toward lessons learned. It is this contribution that is their legacy, and the ongoing challenge is for current and future leaders to learn, share, and move forward with courage.
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