Building leaders
Fellowship prepares nurses for leadership roles
At UF Health, we pride ourselves on having some of the most passionate nurses in the industry. To retain our nursing talent and provide avenues for growth, the Rose Rivers Emerging Leader Fellowship program is available for nurses looking to take their leadership skills to the next level.
“It was Dr. Rose Rivers’ vision to develop nurses for leadership roles,” said Jean Bulmer, D.N.P., RN-BC, UF Health Shands Nursing and Patient Services Nursing Education
administrative director. “The program also provides fellows a better understanding of UF Health through shadowing nursing leaders.”
A graduation ceremony was held on Nov. 1 for 21 nurses who completed the one-year fellowship, which includes shadowing leaders, attending seminars and completing a leadership project.
Victoria Holley, A.S.N., R.N., RN-BC, UF Health Shands Hospital Medical/ Surgical Unit 64 nurse, fills informal leadership roles on her unit and saw the fellowship as a way to transition to a formal leadership role.
“I gained a better understanding of the various leadership roles and management positions,” she said. “There was a lot of exposure to the different opportunities that mirror your goals within the fellowship.”
For Amelia Nichols Alava, B.S.N., R.N., UF Health Shands Hospital Burn ICU nurse, the fellowship provided her with ways to handle difficult situations and be assertive without being confrontational. It also gave her confidence to pursue other educational opportunities.
“Before, I was afraid to take the GRE, or graduate record examination, so I could get into a doctorate program,” Alava said. She found her courage during one of the emotional intelligence seminars in the beginning of the fellowship, and now she’s enrolled at UF for her doctorate degree in nursing practice with a specialty in acute care nursing.
(From left) Amelia Nichols Alava, B.S.N., R.N., UF Health Shands Hospital Burn ICU nurse, uses the skills she learned from the Rose Rivers Emerging Leader Fellowship seminars to collaborate efficiently with colleagues if difficult situations arise.
To be eligible for the fellowship, applicants currently employed at UF Health are required to have worked as a registered nurse for at least two years at a minimum of 0.8 FTE, and nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing receive preference.
For more information, email Bulmer at bulmej@shands.ufl.edu.
“Nurses at UF Health are so very supportive and empowered,” said Elizabeth Swindle, M.S.N., R.N., SCRN, UF Health Shands Hospital Neuro ICU nurse. “It’s not like this at other hospitals, where nurses aren’t always encouraged to speak their minds and seek opportunities for development. Anybody with an interest in nursing leadership should look into this fellowship.”
