Two UNMC College of Nursing faculty members recently became the first nursing faculty to complete a national program for high potential nurse leaders.
Rebecca Swanson, DNP, clinical assistant professor at the Omaha division, and Jill Reed, PhD, associate professor at the Kearney division, finished the NurseTRUST Emerging Leaders Fellowship program late last year. The eight-month course focuses on six leadership competencies: self-awareness, learning agility, communication, political savvy, influencing outcomes and motivating others.
“I felt it was a good fit for me and my faculty role to help gain additional training/experience in leadership,” Dr. Reed said of joining the program.
Dr. Swanson added, “I was drawn to the NurseTRUST vision to amplify nurse leaders’ impact on health, health equity and health care.”
The program required each participant to complete a project relating to its competencies. Dr. Swanson worked with Nebraska Medicine on the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) student placement processes. She explained the project’s goals were to formalize the APP preceptor recruitment process; update and disseminate the APP student placement process; employ a learner management system; and form an APP student placement team.
Dr. Reed’s project was to establish best practices for the clinical evaluation of nurse practitioner students. It included establishing faculty to do site visits, conducting a survey of faculty students and preceptors to provide feedback and input on the current process and reviewing the current literature and identifying national organizations that can assist in identifying the best practices to evaluate NP students.
Additionally, each participant selected a mentor. Dr. Reed chose Teresa Hultquist, PhD, professor at the Omaha division while Dr. Swanson selected Kate Fiandt, PhD, emeritus clinical professor.
Throughout the process, Reed said she was challenged to look inward and identify areas in which she could both grow and excel.
“It made me examine myself and become aware of how to interact more effectively with others,” she said. “I learned that communication, self-awareness, and leadership is not about being in charge per se but about using a skill set to help others succeed.
“Understanding and applying these concepts in my leadership roles will help me and those I work with function together more cohesively.”
Dr. Swanson said seeing the ambition of those involved motivated her to take chances and advance her clinical and faculty roles.
“The conference showcased nursing innovation and the incredible work of nursing pioneers who took a chance and are making a big impact. I realized that I was stagnant in my previous clinical role and have focused on making necessary, positive change,” she said. “I am thankful that UNMC College of Nursing supported my participation in the program and I hope that others will consider applying.”
While Drs. Reed and Swanson were the first from UNMC to complete the program, three more College of Nursing faculty have been selected for the 2025 cohort – Douglas Haas, DNP, clinical assistant professor at the Kearney division, Melissa Florell, PhD, interim assistant dean at the Lincoln division and Haley Hays, DNP, interim assistant dean at the West Nebraska division in Scottsbluff.