A Letter From the President - Dr. AJ Stephens

As we enter the winter holiday season, many of us find it a time to reflect on the past, recognize the many things for which we are grateful and make plans for the future in the new year and beyond. As I take time for my own reflection, I am humbled and honored to have started my term as President of TONL, an organization near and dear to my heart because of its commitment to excellence and drive to push the nursing profession forward.

In what has been described as our “post-pandemic” transition, we continue to face a number of new challenges in the healthcare industry from labor and supply chain shortages to seeing increased costs and shrinking budgets. I find comfort in tackling these challenges together, as a nursing leadership network across the great State of Texas. Throughout 2022, TONL has continued to push forward in our leadership, advocacy and education through the engagement and dedication of our members, task forces, committees and our board of directors. In all of our efforts, we have profound support and remain incredibly grateful to our partner in CMP Management.

Each year, our Education Committee strives to create an impactful annual conference with timely and relevant presentations and 2022 was no exception. In February, we continued our annual conference offering with our second virtual platform, “Leadership:  Reconsidered – Rebuilding the Workforce.” This continued our tradition of having a highly successful event with the opportunity for networking, education and leadership growth, as well as the availability of sponsors to offer new and state-of-the-art approaches to patient care and leadership. We also had the great opportunity to recognize Dr. Rebecca Geist, Associate Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, with the 2021 TONL Excellence in Leadership Award for her diverse work in creating community focus on and the prevention of human trafficking.

Throughout the year, our members have continued their exceptional work connecting through local and joint chapter meetings, virtual educational offerings, individual contributions to our monthly newsletter and through dedicated task force and committee work. Dr. Jamie Brennan, Chair of our Social Media Committee, and her team have continued to expand the TONL footprint on social media with presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, chaired by Max Holder, has continued our work in ensuring the full right of participation of all people in and outside of TONL and this very important work remains a TONL strategic plan initiative in 2023. Our Finance Committee, chaired by Dr. Vicki Brockman, continues to support the growth and educational offerings to our members through the annual awarding of scholarships, including the opportunity to attend our annual conference.

In July 2022, the TONL Board of Directors met for our first in-person strategic planning session since the summer of 2019. There, we reviewed the great work accomplished by our members throughout the pandemic and set the course of the organization for the next five years. In October 2022, we had the opportunity to showcase completed and ongoing achievements at the AONL affiliate meeting where TONL dominated the agenda with four presentations including our 2020 collaborative summit, “The Future of Nursing in Texas:  Stakeholders Moving Towards Alignment,” The Nurse Executive Resident Role, Chapter Leadership Training and the extensive work of our Education Committee.

As we finish 2022 and prepare for a fresh, new year in 2023, I reflect on how very proud I am of the work we have all completed together. I feel encouraged that we will continue to strive together to achieve our TONL mission statement of “Shaping the future of healthcare in Texas through empowered Nurse Leaders.” In 2023, we will continue our collaborative summit work with plans for another event in 2024, participate in the Nursing Legislative Agenda Coalition to make positive impacts within nursing and healthcare in the 2023 legislative session, support leaders in transitioning new graduates to professional practice in Texas and expand national leadership news with our members through a social media partnership with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. In addition, we will return to an in-person event for our 2023 TONL Annual Conference:  Leading and Advancing the Nursing Profession. This event will be held at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas from February 23-24, 2023.

Through our collaborative efforts, I am reminded that of all the resources we have at our disposal, networking may be the only one in an unlimited supply. Our access to that resource leverages on our individual involvement, engagement and commitment to our profession as a whole. One of the most profound things I have ever done for my career, and for my growth as a leader, was to become actively involved in TONL and other professional nursing organizations. Make 2023 your year to get involved and be part of the change for our future!

Sincerely,

Dr. AJ Stephens, DNP, MBA-HCA, RN, NEA-BC