Rose Sherman, EdD, RN, CNAA

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Having the opportunity to speak with Dr Rose Sherman is like a breath of fresh air. An experienced administrator and academic, Rose's passion about nursing and in particular nursing leadership is both positive and contagious.

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Roxane: Rose, you have developed a leadership institute at Florida Atlantic University through a local grant and support from local hospitals to provide leadership classes to staff who have an interest in developing these skills. Tell us about the program and why you thought it important.

Rose: During my 25 years in leadership positions, in practice settings as well as in my current research and discussions with students, it has become very evident that leadership at the unit level really matters. Nursing staff have consistently told me how important their nurse manager was to their satisfaction and quality delivery of care. Although there are many highly motivated and competent nurse managers, there are also a large number that have not had the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to effectively lead their staff. My work has been dedicated to helping these nurse leaders develop their skills. My research also prompted me to realize that identifying leadership potential early in a nurse's career would give them the mentorship and skills that are needed by both the nurse and the organization. This is why one of our current projects is a Novice Nurse Leadership Institute.

Roxane: My understanding is that nursing was not your original career choice; what is your background, and how did you choose nursing?

Rose: My path to nursing was not traditional. I initially completed an undergraduate degree in political science with the idea of becoming a lawyer. I actually started law school but realized I had a strong desire to help others. I felt the relationships and humanistic part of what I wanted in a career were missing in the legal profession. I did some research, and nursing seemed to meet all of my needs to make a difference. There were also multiple career opportunities that allowed for different experiences and career mobility. I was fortunate to have the wise counsel of a very supportive husband. In 33 years, I have never regretted my decision.

Roxane: What enticed you to focus on the leadership issues for nurses and nursing?

Rose: When I completed graduate school, my first leadership position was director for recruitment and retention in a large Veteran's Administration (VA) Medical Center. Exit interviews provided me with an earful about the positives and negatives of immediate supervisors. I was amazed at how much influence the immediate nurse manager had on the employee and the attitude that employees felt toward their work and job satisfaction. Following that, I myself was encouraged to take a nurse manager position of a 55-bed general medical unit in a teaching hospital. I was later promoted to director of the medical service. Since my husband was career military, we moved frequently. The VA was a perfect career environment for me, and I was deeply passionate about the mission and vision. Over my 25-year career with the VA, I had an opportunity to serve in many different leadership roles.

When I look at the many places I served with the VA, I recognize the value of moving around. It is part of a mosaic that greatly enhances your career by being in different parts of the country and experiencing the many cultural differences between areas. This type of experience makes you a better rounded leader as well as promoting recognition that what works in one culture doesn't necessarily work in another.

Roxane: It is a great benefit to the university to have a faculty member with both service and academic backgrounds. How did you accomplish that?

Rose: Well, I decided while in New York to go back for my doctorate. With the help of a very supportive chief nurse, I took a part-time position as a weekend director at the New York City VA Medical Center so I could attend school. When I worked at the VA in Seattle, I had an opportunity to take a full-time faculty position at Seattle University through a grant designed to improve the practice/education interface by placing qualified VA staff in faculty positions. This was a wonderful introduction to the importance of the faculty role in preparing students and future leaders.

My final position with the Department of Veterans Affairs was planning and activating a new hospital in West Palm Beach, the first completely new hospital that the VA had built in 20 years. The hospital opened in 1995 and within 2 years had joined a nationwide movement away from departments that were disciplinary focused to service lines. There were so many educational issues that came with this restructuring that I was offered a new opportunity to lead and build an outstanding interdisciplinary education program for the medical center.

Upon my retirement, academia became a logical career step, and I went to Florida Atlantic University as director of the Nursing Leadership Institute within the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. One of the most important things I learned in my transition from service to academia is the need to be respectful that the culture in each of these sectors is different. I am fortunate to have a great dean as a mentor. In the academic culture, your track record in research, writing, and obtaining grant funding is highly valued, while experience may not be as valued. Operational experience does, however, make you a much better teacher, especially in nursing administration. University faculties use consensus models to make decisions; therefore the ability to negotiate is critical. I would encourage any nurse administrator who chooses to go into academia to master the skill of negotiation and the art of patience.

Roxane: What do you enjoy the most and the least about your position?

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Rose: I think working with students is the best part of my job. I have an opportunity to work with a very diverse group of current and future nurse leaders from throughout South Florida. I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. I am also excited about our Palm Healthcare Grant funded program working with novice nurses and my work on the clinical nurse leader project. Prior to taking a position in an academic environment, I had done very little research and writing for professional journals. I have found that I really enjoy the academic scholarship in my role more than I ever thought I would. Actually I can't think of anything I don't enjoy about my position, what a blessing.

Roxane: What do you see as the most critical issues facing nursing and nursing leadership today?

Rose: There is a need for planting seeds earlier in basic undergraduate education as to the importance of leadership. This is more important today than it has ever been in nursing due to the pending retirement of many of our current nurse leaders. The movement from primary nursing to a team approach over the past decade requires that professional nurses become skilled in supervision and delegation at a much earlier point in their careers. Part of the role of nurse managers is to identify the leadership potential of their staff: if you see it, say it, and if you see it, develop it. I am beginning to see an interesting trend with our millennial nurses. They seem to be more interested in nursing leadership at earlier age than any previous generation.

A second critical issue that nurse leaders frequently talk about today is the challenges of having four different generational groups in the workforce. A new skill that nurse leaders are learning is how to help staff work together and capitalize on the strengths that each generational group brings to the team to create synergy. Over the next 5 years, we will see incredible change in our nursing environments as our experienced baby boomer nurses begin to retire. A critical issue that we may not be paying enough attention to yet in nursing is the timely transfer of knowledge and skills from one generation to another. Fortunately, I continue to be delighted and amazed how marvelous our emerging new nurse leaders are, although there are not enough of them.

Roxane: If you had anything to do over again, what would it be?

Rose: Early in my leadership career, I was too sensitive to criticism and took things personally. I would say that in the beginning I was too emotionally invested in almost every decision and situation. You need a thick skin to be in a leadership role, and I didn't have enough perspective on that. I am more astute now at picking my battles and deciding where to invest my time and energy. A lesson from this to all leaders is not to personalize issues, challenges, or disagreements but to recognize the potential growth that comes with adversity.

Roxane: What is the most important item that current nurse leaders need to take action on today?

Rose: As I have mentioned, I feel strongly about the need to identify potential leaders and begin mentorship early in their careers. As we move into a pay-for-performance environment where reimbursement is impacted by indicators that are nursing sensitive, the need for leaders who can integrate the concepts of revenue enhancements with quality is paramount. We also need nurse leaders who clearly understand that they represent the voice of nursing and needs of patients at the negotiating table. As one of my very astute nurse leader colleagues observed, his role is to ask, “Where is the patient in this decision?”

Roxane: What do we need to do to encourage nurses to take leadership positions?

Rose: I believe we are seeing many nurses today who want to take leadership positions but feel strongly about staying connected to the patient. The newly emerging clinical nurse leader role is a perfect example of this trend. There is growing interest in this role, which is unit based, and managing care at the microsystems level. Clinical nurse leaders focus their efforts on the clinical management of patients. There are so many things in today's health care environment that fall through the cracks without strong clinical leadership at the point of care. Clinical nurse leaders pay attention to trends that impact the system; help to oversee the care of patients to insure good outcomes; introduce evidence-based practice; mentor the staff, especially our novices; and allow nurse managers to focus on their management role. I am very encouraged by the early outcomes that we are seeing from this nationwide project.

Roxane: You have so much wisdom. As a new member of the Nurse Leader advisory board, what message would you leave with our readers?

Rose: In leadership, we must commit ourselves to being continuous learners. It is so easy to fall into the trap of discussing the merits of the past and believe that strategies that have served us well will continue to do so in the future. One of the wonderful things about being a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow over the past 3 years has been the opportunity to take a critical look at my own leadership. It is very important that nurse leaders take the time to reflect on their own work and look for ways in which they can be more effective.

I am a reader, so in closing, I will leave you with a reading recommendation. It is a book written by Marshall Goldsmith, who coaches top level executives internationally, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become More Successful. Goldman makes so many important points in this book. It is informative, insightful, and instructive. You are sure to recognize mistakes that you may have already made on your own leadership journey. nl