By Laura Gasque

Associate Professor, DNP Nurse Executive Pathway Director and MSN Nursing Health Systems Leadership Pathway Director Heather Nelson-Brantley, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, is nationally recognized for her expertise in nursing leadership research and education. Nelson-Brantley is President-Elect of the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing (ALSN) and has served two terms as the association's Vice President of Research. In 2021, Nelson-Brantley co-developed the Nursing Leadership and Systems Science Council, the first formalized collaboration between ALSN and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Foundation. Her research funding totals over $7.7 million in the areas of nursing leadership, implementation science, cancer care, and rural health. She serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Nursing Administration and has authored more than 40 publications and 60 presentations.

Nelson-Brantley also is a Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leaders and Innovators Fellow. She has received several awards for her expertise in nursing leadership research and education, including the ALSN Early Careerist Award, Faculty Research Investigator Award and the DAISY Faculty Award.

1. What are some of your goals in your role at the School?

My goals center around program growth, innovation and collaboration. Our Nurse Executive Pathway is ranked #4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report but we are still relatively unknown. I want the world to know about our program and what makes us unique. To get there, we need to further increase our national presence and dissemination of our innovations in education, research and scholarship.

I also want to grow our program with purpose. My goal is for our program to be a pathway for rural and minoritized nurse leaders to gain a world-class education that equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance health care delivery. Great health care starts with great leadership. When we elevate the knowledge, skills and ability of nurse leaders in rural and under resourced areas, we advance the health and well-being of persons, communities and the nursing workforce in areas where there is tremendous need.

Additionally, we need to operate with an innovation mindset. Innovation is a core value of the School. I want the faculty and staff in the Nurse Executive DNP Pathway and beyond to always think about how we can improve our programs. I also want to build intra- and inter-professional collaborations in health policy, implementation science, informatics and data science. These are areas where nurse executives need to grow their skills, and areas where our interprofessional colleagues could advance their fields by working with nurse executives.

2. Tell us about a time when your leadership work made an impact.

One of my proudest accomplishments is building a consistent funding mechanism for nursing leadership science. Funding for nursing leadership research has been a longtime challenge. As the VP of Research for ALSN, I strengthened existing partnerships with the Versant Center for the Advancement of Nursing and built new partnerships with the American Nurses Foundation. These partners have sponsored six grants totaling $75,000 for our ALSN members. In 2021, I partnered with the ALSN Treasurer to establish the ALSN Research Fund, generating research funding by ALSN members for ALSN members. We have raised more than $30,000 and funded three studies in three years. These pilot grants are critical for providing a foundation for early career nurse scientists looking to grow a program of research in nursing leadership. Simultaneously, they are advancing nursing leadership education and practice, establishing a foundation to drive evidence-based leadership decision making to improve the nursing workforce and patient outcomes. Collectively, these efforts have supported more than 15 investigators and have resulted in more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Six investigators have gone on to receive larger grants that were built from their ALSN research awards. I am filled with joy thinking about how these efforts have planted seeds for nursing leadership science across the U.S. that will advance the field for years to come.

3. Before you became a nurse, you started your career in business administration and sales. What inspired you to make the change and what was it about nursing leadership research and education that interested you?

I had been a successful business executive in advertising specialty print manufacturing for about 12 years but was feeling a void. At the time, my sons were 3 and 5 years old. I yearned for a more meaningful career, one that would fill my cup and one that they could look up to me and be proud of. I received a Christmas letter from my cousin that year, sharing how she had left her career in journalism to pursue nursing. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew at that moment that I wanted to become a nurse. I reached out to my cousin, who encouraged me to take a CNA class to see if nursing was truly something I wanted to do. As part of the course, I completed clinical hours at an Alzheimer’s and Dementia unit and fell in love. I knew without a doubt that this was the career I had been searching for.

I left my career to pursue nursing and thought that I would be leaving behind my formal training and years of experience in business, psychology and graphic arts. I was wrong. While working as a nurse tech in a medical ICU and completing my BSN, I began to see a tremendous need for improving the work environment of nurses and the need to equip nurses with business and leadership skills. The things that I had loved about my career in business—building a healthy work environment, strong teamwork and improved efficiency of workflows—were the same interests that led me to pursue a PhD in Nursing with a focus in Organizational Leadership. I gained a passion for nursing leadership research and teaching, building the evidence and equipping nurse leaders in leading change to improve patient, nurse and organizational outcomes. Along the way I also discovered there is a tremendous need for nurse leaders with marketing knowledge. I am truly blessed to bring together all the skills and experiences I have gained to advance the field of nursing leadership research and education.

4. Tell us about your role as President-Elect of the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing and how the organization advances nursing leadership.

ALSN was first established in 1970 as the Council on Graduate Education for Administration in Nursing. It is an international organization grounded in a rich history of being the voice for graduate education and research in nursing administration. More recently, the organization has evolved to have an intentional focus on bringing together leaders from practice, education and research to advance the field of nursing leadership science. Hence, the official name change to ALSN. As President-Elect, my role is to support the mission, vision and values of ALSN, expanding our research and impact. Over the past decade I have watched the organization become a thriving organization that is building strategic partnerships, providing consistent research funding and expanding our membership. I am building on that momentum. I want to unite us around a shared vision of ALSN as the premier association for nursing leadership research and education, while ensuring that ALSN continues to provide a unique environment where nurse leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences connect, feel a sense of belonging and flourish.

5. How do you hope to inspire the next generation of nurse leaders?

I hope to inspire them the same way that I was inspired, by holding the door for them, taking the time to get to know what their passions are and creating opportunities for them to launch. ALSN was critical for inspiring and encouraging me to pursue my passion. I will always remember my first ALSN conference, where I was just feet from so many of the researchers whose work I was citing in my dissertation and coursework. I was in awe to discover how down to earth they were and how willing they were to talk with me about their work and my ideas. They were authentic, relational and inspirational. No egos, despite their extensive and impressive careers. Each have stayed by my side, playing critical roles in launching my career and supporting my professional growth as a leader. I see now how they look to me and all of those they have mentored to carry the torch, to advance the field. With them as my inspiration, I strive to be that type of mentor for others.

For information on giving to support the School's Nurse Executive Pathway or Leadership initiatives, contact the Office of Development at (205) 975-9419 or visit uab.edu/nursing/home/give