Nurse Leader Breaks Through Glass Ceiling: Making History as First Air Force Nurse Major General (1999-2005)

ABSTRACT Introduction There is a gap in the nursing literature about the significant contributions of executive military nurse leaders to the advancement of nursing as a profession and into interprofessional leadership roles. Many executive military nurse leaders have demonstrated the value of nursing leadership in non-traditional roles and paved the way to expand the leadership opportunities for nurses who would follow. The purpose of this study is to explore the personal stories, experiences, leadership strategies, and lessons learned through the eyes of the first nurse to achieve the rank of Major General in the U.S. Air Force. Materials and Methods The oral history method guided the exploration of participant memories and experiences. In compliance with the Oral History Association guidelines, the investigator obtained Institution Review Board permission, informed consent, and audiotaped interviews. An expert panel provided feedback on the appropriate language use in semi-structured interview questions with Air Force nurse executives. The oral history method provided a framework for the semi-structured interview and analysis. Active listening techniques such as exploration, clarifying, and paraphrasing helped foster deep listening. A graduate research assistant transcribed the 4-hour interview verbatim. The primary investigator emailed a copy of the transcript to the participant to verify accuracy and clarify content. Analysis involved examination and interpretation of the professional, military, nursing, and participant’s personal perspective to enhance historical understanding. Three independent coders extracted prevalent themes and subthemes during analysis. Results Repetitive major themes of courage, figuring it out, and winning others over emerged during data analysis. The major theme of courage has corresponding subthemes of tenacity, risk-taking, and re-writing the narrative. The major theme of figuring it out has subthemes of optimism, creativity, connectedness, learning, and managing change. Lastly, the winning others over theme has subthemes of emotional intelligence, teamwork, role-model/mentor, and moving from outsider to insider. The leadership strategies of taking calculated risks while remaining calm, being open to opportunities that she had never considered, and spending time learning new skills contributed to repeated advancement into higher leadership positions not previously held by a nurse within the U.S. Air Force. Conclusion The interview is packed full of leadership lessons that are just as relative today as 20 years ago. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of the most effective leadership strategies, the lasting impact of the leadership accomplishments, and current implications for nurse leaders today.