Reflections of a Nurse Leader

By Past President of TONL, Dr. Jane McCurley, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPXP, FAONL, FACHE

As I enter my 45th year in nursing and think about the few years I have left in nursing leadership, I like to reflect on what my legacy will be. Two points repeat in my mind: being remembered as a nurse executive who led each day with passion and advocacy for the profession of nursing and my commitment to the development of future leaders charged with significantly impacting the lives of those they will encounter.

I often talk about my “why.” I chose nursing as a profession, but the truth is, it truly was my calling from God. I used to say I came out of the womb wanting to be a nurse, and my grandmother’s 1981 poem written to me speaks to that:

The Commitment

“When Jane was only three
I asked what she’d like to be
(when she grew up?).
She opened wide, her shining eyes
Her big, dark, lovely eyes
And said: “a nuss.”
When she was eight, I asked again:
“Are you sure, you still intend to be a nuss?"
At sweet sixteen and very smart
She said to me with all her heart
“I’ll be a Nurse!”
Today, in white, a regal beauty
My Jane has time to be “off duty”
And say to me “remember first
I always said I’d be a Nurse!”

She was my grandmother after all! Sincerely, my love for the profession of nursing knows no bounds. I have loved every minute of my career, including all the changes that have occurred across that timeline. There are many things that guided my career and my successes, and I would like to share some with you. First and foremost, be in love with leadership! Leadership has always been important, but now, more than ever, our teams need to see our love for the profession, for them, and for the work they do each and every day.

Secondly, be a lifelong learner. Always be excited to learn new ideas and concepts but also to validate you are on the right path with your leadership actions. Being a lifelong learner is more than the books we have read, the conferences we attend, the relationships we forge, or the knowledge passed from mentors throughout our career.

Next, take time for reflection. Learning from our reflections and seeking feedback from our decisions and actions matter. Reflect on what went well, what could have been done differently, and the impacts of communication and actions on the team and across the organization. I truly believe this is one of the attributes that has impacted my career most.

It is also important to be authentic in your leadership style and actions. Your team and all the individuals you interact with are always looking at you. Every moment you are on stage and need to be true to your core values.

Lastly, listen! We have all heard the expression, “you have two ears and one mouth so listen more than you speak.” This is extremely true in leadership. Absorb what is stated, what is unspoken, and what is communicated between the lines. When you take the time to listen with intent, the words that are not being said will become apparent to you.

My career has been filled with many blessings beginning at the bedside and continuing throughout my career. The development of others has yielded the most continuous blessings for me. I consider it an honor and a privilege to see nurses grow in our profession either as a leader at the bedside or in the boardroom. With immense pride, I continue to watch the career transformations of many leaders and find joy in their every accomplishment and achievement.

In the twilight years of my career, it is my goal to establish an innovative program that expedites the leadership career path for early career nurses. As I look around my circle of leadership colleagues, we are aging! We have to create paths that facilitate our young, ambitious nursing workforce to excel into leadership at a faster pace. One recent accomplishment, for which I am exceptionally proud, is the development of the Nurse Executive Residency Program. This program is ideal for a high-performing nurse with less than five years of experience, who has completed the first year of a Master’s program, and possesses the desire to become a nurse executive. Upon selection, the nurse undertakes a two-year nurse executive residency assignment with the end goal of eligibility to become an Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO). My executive resident wrote about this in our December 2022 TONL newsletter:

 “I am grateful to have this experience and believe this program will define and pave the way for the future of nursing leadership. The program focuses on creating unique experiences through exposure, education and mentorship. As a resident, I have been integrated into the senior leadership team and worked side-by-side with the hospital executives in nursing, operational, financial, and strategic growth areas. This has allowed me to see the organization through multiple lenses and has forever impacted my identity as a healthcare leader. The unique exposure has led me to develop many impactful relationships and the establishment of multiple mentors, who have all played a pivotal role in my learning. I have been able to lead important initiatives for the organization with the guidance and support from my mentors, which is a priceless experience as a young careerist. Overall, it is an honor to be a Nurse Executive Resident.”

I wish someone had encouraged me early on in my career to get involved with professional organizations. It was not until I became a leader that I began to participate. Being a part of local, state, and national organizations has been a highlight of my career. I believe we have a responsibility to contribute to our profession through our service, sharing our voices, and leading others on this path. It is not enough to just join professional organizations; we must feel compelled to be involved in all aspects to truly elevate our profession.

Resiliency has been a buzzword now for many years due to the nature of our profession and for what has occurred in our world over the past few years. I am an avid believer in self-care and have always ensured mechanisms in my daily life were available to meet my needs. I personally find strength in my faith, family, friends, and physical activity. Always take time for you. You cannot give to others if you don’t have the strength for yourself.

My love and passion for nursing will always remain. Therefore, I plan to contribute to the profession even in retirement. As a fun fact, my post-retirement plans include volunteering in an emergency department because this was the clinical area I loved so dearly early on in my career.

In closing, I know many of you are in varying stages of growth in your life and careers, and I wish each and every one of you the best. I sincerely hope you will always love this profession, just as I do.