Current job: Interim dean, Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, Georgia State University.
“I am responsible for the leadership and day-to-day management of Georgia State University’s newest school. The combination of the educational programs of nursing, nutrition, physical therapy and respiratory therapy offers opportunities for further development of collaborative teaching and learning, research and health-related projects. I am very excited to work with faculty, staff and students as these programs come together as a cohesive unit for the new School of Nursing and Health Professions.”
Family: "I am happily married, the mother of three children and the grandmother of five perfect grandchildren."
What makes a good leader?
“A good leader is a good listener, data/information gatherer, comfortable with people and a visionary. A good leader leads and manages, respects others, encourage others to be the best they can be, and holds individuals accountable for fulfilling their duties/responsibilities.”
What are you most proud of in your career?
“First are the successes of the students I have taught over the years. Their accomplishments have made significant contributions to the health of our citizens.
“Second is the fact that I was invited to serve as interim dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions during this transition period and the search for the inaugural dean. I am very excited about our plans to grow our research endeavors in areas such as mobility, the health of caregivers, the management of migraines, aerosol delivery systems, sleep disturbances and chronic illness, etc.
“Finally, I am very proud of the fact that I was a co-founder of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, a professional nursing organization for medical-surgical nurses. I had the honor of serving as their president for two terms.”
Who has inspired or mentored you?
“Definitely my students have inspired me. One of the satisfying aspects of being a teacher is seeing the impact that our graduates have on society. We are developing future health care leaders.
“Our graduates include chief nursing officers in hospitals and other health care institutions. They are deans and directors in schools of nursing. They are clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners who devote their careers to fostering healthy lifestyles for their clients. They are staff nurses whose diligence and dedication to give care and comfort to their patients result in positive patient outcomes. They also serve the underserved by providing health care to people without access to physicians or other primary care providers.”
What’s your favorite thing to do away from work?
“I enjoy relaxing on the deck in our backyard, reading novels and, when time permits, traveling.
Who’s your favorite fictional nurse? Why?
“I really do not have a favorite fictional nurse although I did read most of the Cherry Ames books. My favorite nurse is Florence Nightingale. She was not only the matriarch of nursing, but is also recognized as the mother of statistics. She was the first person to collect health care data and use this information to change patient outcomes.”
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
“Enjoying a chocolate malt!”
Tell us something that nobody at work knows about you:
“I played basketball and baseball and coached girls softball.”
- Compiled by John Brieske, Pulse Plus editor
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