Nurses Lend an Invaluable Voice to Boards Across the Country

As a member of Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Nursing Quality and Practice, Gail Ditz, BSN, RN, manages policies and procedures for the Nursing Institute across the healthcare enterprise. She utilized many of the skills from her day job last year to review the bylaws for the Westlake Music Boosters, a nonprofit organization that supports all music education for public school students pre-K through 12th grade in the suburb of Westlake, Ohio. In August, Ditz was elected president of the Westlake Music Boosters.

Ditz is one of dozens of nurses at Cleveland Clinic who serve on boards for community organizations, corporations, professional organizations and other groups. “Nurses are committed, detail-oriented and want to do the right thing and help people, not only in the hospital but in the community,” says Monica Weber, MSN, RN, CNS-BC, FAHA, director of professional nursing practice at Cleveland Clinic. “And so many boards truly help the community, whether it’s a school board, a church board or a social service agency.”

Weber is helping to lead an effort at Cleveland Clinic to increase the number of nurses on boards. The healthcare organization is partnering with the Nurses on Boards Coalition, which aims to get 10,000 nurses on boards across the U.S. by 2020 and is being funded by the American Nurses Foundation. “Board service aligns with community outreach and Cleveland Clinic’s values in caring for the community,” says Weber. “In addition, nurses having a seat at the table aligns with both Pathway to Excellence® and Magnet Recognition Program® standards. So it’s important to us that our nurses participate on boards.”

An initiative to increase board participation

When Cleveland Clinic decided to support the goal of the Nurses on Boards Coalition in 2018, it conducted a baseline survey of nurses throughout its hospitals in Northeast Ohio and Florida. Of the 1,150 nurses who completed the survey, 5.1% (59 nurses) indicated they served on a board. That aligns with the national average of 5%, says Weber. (She serves on two boards: one represents a fraternal life insurance company and the other is a German association.)

Perhaps more telling was that 39.7% of all respondents expressed interest in serving on a board, and 78% of nurses who already participated on a board conveyed interest in continuing to do so or joining an additional board. Armed with that information, Weber and her peers launched an initiative to educate nurses about the importance of board participation.

One event that had the most impact was a Nursing Grand Rounds program in May 2019, where members of the Nurses on Boards Coalition spoke, as well as three Cleveland Clinic nurses who serve on boards. The nurses represented the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland, the Boys Scouts of America and a local church board. “These nurses were so articulate about how they became involved, why it was important for them, and what they bring to their boards as nurses,” recalls Weber.

In addition, the Nursing Institute set up a table during Cleveland Clinic’s 2019 Shared Governance Day to hand out materials and ask caregivers to sign up if they wanted more information or were interested in serving on a board. Fourteen nurses expressed interest that day.

Cleveland Clinic has a modest goal of increasing board service by six positions annually. The organization has created a second survey to ascertain how many additional nurses have joined boards and encourage them to register their participation with the Nurses on Boards Coalition so it can track its progress toward achieving the goal of 10,000 nurses on boards.

One nurse’s story as a board leader

Ditz is one of the nurses at Cleveland Clinic who committed to serving and she registered with the coalition. “It’s always been a bucket item of mine to be on an executive board,” she says. “In August 2018, I took a new position with Cleveland Clinic with a different schedule, which allowed me to dedicate the necessary time and effort to the Westlake Music Boosters.”

Selecting to serve on the music boosters’ board was an easy decision for Ditz. Her son, a sophomore at Westlake High School, is passionate about music. He plays the double bass in the orchestra and jazz band and is a member of the honors chorale, the show choir and the men’s chorus. “If I’m going to put my efforts and time somewhere, I want to support something that’s important to me and my family,” says Ditz.

She admits that serving as president of the Westlake Music Boosters requires a lot of work. The organization has a significant operating budget, a full board and 15 committees to achieve its mission “to support and promote the arts through musical education and performance in our schools for all students, in all grades and in all forms.”

For Ditz, it’s a labor of love – and one where she never leaves off being a nurse. For instance, when she realized that the boosters were serving sugar-laden, carbonated sodas to high school band members after fall halftime performances, she lobbied to replace them with water. “It’s much healthier to drink water, so we are switching to water only at many events,” says Ditz. “The decision was made through a nursing lens, and it fits well with Cleveland Clinic’s mission, too.”

Advice to nurses with an interest to serve

Ditz encourages her nursing peers to consider board membership. “Nurses have such a unique skill set they can bring to boards and leadership positions on boards,” she says. “For 18 years, the nursing profession has ranked No.1 in honesty and ethics in the Gallup poll of professions. Nurses are trusted throughout the community.”

Ditz and Weber offer advice to other nurses who are considering joining a board:

• Research what it means to serve on a board. The Nurses on Boards Coalition offers numerous resources. In addition, talk to other nurses, friends and family who serve on boards to get an accurate reflection of what it entails.
• Pick an organization you are passionate about. “A really good question someone told me to ask was, ‘Where do you make your charitable contributions?’” says Ditz. “If you donate money to the homeless or animal rescue organizations, then that might be an avenue for you to pursue.” Another question to ask: “What are you willing to miss dinner for?” Board participation takes time, so make sure you choose something you can commit to.
• Don’t be afraid to make the leap. “Nurses are most likely already participating on a committee or in a community organization, whether it’s their PTA or the Boy Scouts,” says Weber. “Become more involved with those organizations. That’s where you’re going to find your value and your voice.”
• Skip the excuses. “People often use ‘I don’t have time’ as an excuse,” says Ditz. “Maybe there’s a smaller nonprofit you can join that doesn’t require a huge time commitment. The opportunities are out there.” When Ditz researched board membership, she discovered there are 52,000 nonprofit organizations in Ohio. “Anything you drive by on your way home probably has a non-profit related to it,” she says.

Weber offers one final piece of encouragement to nurses: “You are a nurse no matter where you are, whether you are at the grocery store or a PTA meeting or church,” she says. “And that experience and dedication is invaluable to organizations.”