Nurses' Perspectives of Their Impact While Serving on Boards.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Leadership
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Nurse leaders are vital experts for board effectiveness and organizational performance.
• Existing research confirms nurse leaders' qualifications for board service.
• The specific impact of nurses on boards remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify nurses' perceptions of their impact while serving on governing boards.
• To explore the unique contributions of nurses in board-level strategic decision-making.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory qualitative study was conducted.
• Twenty nurses serving on boards were interviewed.
• Hermeneutic analysis was used to analyze interview data, identifying overarching patterns and themes.

Main Results:

• Nurses utilize their expert knowledge of healthcare and "caring wisdom" to influence strategic thinking.
• Their contributions help align organizational strategies with diverse stakeholder needs.
• Nurses ensure comprehensive representation of stakeholder perspectives in board processes.

Conclusions:

• Nurses significantly promote effective board governance by advocating for all stakeholders.
• Health organizations are encouraged to appoint nurses as voting board members.
• Inclusion of nurses enhances strategic decision-making and organizational outcomes.