Name and Credentials: Gwen Sherwood, RN, PhD, FAAN
Candidate Position: Vice President

Professional Background
Major Professional Positions:
I have bridged education and practice and directed global health outreach in faculty positions at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing, and as Co-Director of the Center for Professional Excellence, Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX as well as directed our Texas Mexico Border Educational Outreach. 

My education spans a diploma from Georgia Baptist Hospital,  North Carolina Central University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Texas at Austin.

In what ways are you qualified for this position and what leadership experience do you have in the honor society and other organizations?
I find great joy in serving our members. My own goals and values match those of the society and inspire my engagement to help us achieve our mission and vision in a global environment. My background of commitment to Sigma Theta Tau since my induction as a community leader in 1978 at both the society level and within my chapters prepared me well to serve a second term as for Vice President. Serving multiple years as president, program chair, and secretary of my chapter helped hone my leadership and organizational skills, vital to Board service. Other chapter service as chair of the nominating committee, research proposal reviewer, awards chair, and chair of several committees and task forces helped me understand the necessity of member involvement in building enthusiasm for the society and retaining members. I previously served as local arrangements chair for two regional conferences which helped understand more about our chapters and identifying leadership development needs to inform Board discussions to make astute decisions about the direction of the organization.  I served two terms on the program planning committee for the bi-annual international conference which helped me learn strategies for incorporating the society’s strategic plan and goals into the overall program design, seeking to offer an integrated program that served member needs while also providing the leadership, clinical, and scholarship development opportunities consistent with our mission. I bring critical thinking, demonstrated in service as a collateral reviewer for the society’s grants program, program planning committee, and abstract review committees. My own innovative spirit was expressed in co-chairing the sub-committee that helped to implemented the HeART of Nursing as part of the poster presentations as part of convention that opened new presentation venues to involve additional members. I experienced first hand the challenges of leading a global organization and learned ways to use technology to set meetings when members are in 5 time zones. The success of this global project resulted in co-editing The International Textbook of Reflective Practice for Nursing, the first global publishing venture between the society and Blackwell Science. As Vice President I have built on chapter and regional experiences with the induction process, new member orientation, and chartering new chapters to become learn member needs and to help match personal strengths and interests with volunteer activities, as well as participated on three task forces.

I have completed service roles in several other professional organizations and community boards. I have a sustained record of public and professional service that contributes to my preparation for this nomination and my commitment to working to develop future thought leaders around the globe. I bring experiences from 20 years experience as Associate Dean, somewhat analogous to serving as Vice-President as both require readiness to serve in the absence of the Dean or President. My work focuses on quality as a major outcome providing me skills in helping to examine our society at a strategic juncture in implementing our Vision 2020.

My experience in administration, practice, and research has provided opportunities to work with large budgets to assess expenditures and to explore innovative revenue streams. For six years, I was Co-Director of the Center for Professional Excellence in a large acute care hospital through which I maintained knowledge of the clinical environment and the issues facing nurses in practice, critical for helping engage practicing nurses in the society. I have experience in futuring, strategic thinking, and planning through my academic position, faculty practice, and extensive service on community boards and professional organizations including Sigma Theta Tau International leadership roles.

In working with faculty, community groups, other professions, and hospital leaders, I have learned to lead by building consensus while using conflicting viewpoints to expand vision and develop opportunities. I apply appreciative inquiry to help groups identify their dreams for strategic planning rather than focusing on problems to be solved. The work of our society increasingly requires cross disciplinary work. I bring strong skills both from working with interdisciplinary grants but also from my research itself on teamwork, healthy environments, and relationship centered care. I have built connections nationally and globally in working to align educational goals of nursing and medicine. I embrace change, diversity, and differing viewpoints that expand my own world view and helps me identify and work on my own blind spots of prejudice and entitlement. I seek experiences which challenge my status quo to help me consider other ways to view a situation, “seeking first to understand, and beginning with the end in mind (Covey).” I want our organization to embrace the spirit of inquiry that seeks new frontiers through innovation and enables leaders to build capacity in all areas of our globe.