With the ever-changing healthcare landscape, nurses are constantly met with new challenges, practices, and opportunities. Having a strong nurse leader in place to help navigate these changes can often make or break a nurse’s decision to stay or leave an organization. SDAHO is committed to help retain SD nurses by equipping them with resources and tools to better prepare them for success and longevity within their nurse leadership role.
In January 2022, SDAHO will launch the third year of its nurse leadership program for South Dakota hospital and post-acute nurse leaders. For the past three years, SDAHO has collaborated with the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business to create executive leadership content designed to meet specific state needs and provide additional resources to help retain and grow current and emerging nurse leaders. In 2021, 40 nurse leaders completed the program and here is how the program helped them.
Katelyn DeLange is the Director of Nursing at Douglas Memorial Hospital in Armour, South Dakota and is a 2021 Nurse Leadership graduate. Katelyn began her leadership role at the age of 24 and was looking for more than a one-day conference to help build her leadership skills. She says SDAHO’s year-long nurse leadership program was exactly what she needed. “The confidence I have gained because of this program and my co-participants is incredible. I can confidently say, now that I am 29 years old, and I am the Director of Nursing and I no longer worry that people think I am inadequate to do this job because of my age.”
Lindsey Poeppel is the Director of Nursing at Faulkton Area Medical Center. Lindsey says she was able to apply many of the skills she learned while interacting with her own healthcare team, which benefited staff and patients. Lindsey encourages others to participate in the program. “I would tell others to join the course, get out of your box, learn other viewpoints and learn from professionals who have been doing this for a long time and are now teaching it.”
Amanda Dolphin took on her first leadership role as the Assistant Director of Nursing at Avera Prince of Peace this past year. Amanda participated in the 2021 Nurse Leadership program to help her be a more effective leader in her new role. “The knowledge that I learned helped me grow in every conversation that I had going forward. I began to have successful conversations with people that misunderstood me before.”
This program consists of monthly webinars, in-person education and the program will conclude with a completion ceremony. Some of the educational topics include creative thinking and problem solving, financial essentials for healthcare managers, conflict resolution, regulatory compliance, survey preparedness, advocacy, building and boosting team performance, championing change and more. Our 2022 program is designed to provide hospital and post-acute nurses with the opportunity to grow as a leader, establish a network of colleagues, learn from other successful nurses throughout the state and be connected to several key contacts, such as South Dakota’s regulatory departments (Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Board of Nursing, Attorney General’s Office, Department of Health & Human Services, Ombudsman Office).
 SDAHO’s Nurse Leadership Program Includes:
- Five executive leadership sessions presented by USD Beacom School of Business faculty
- Introduction to Federal and State Associations (American Hospital Association and LeadingAge)
- Human Resource & Operation session led by USD Beacom School of Business faculty (in-person)
- Regulatory & Advocacy session led by South Dakota Federal and State experts
- Complimentary registration to SDAHO’s Post-Acute Care or Annual Convention
Registration is now open for the 2022 program. To register and learn more, click here. Spots are limited and the deadline to register is December 30, 2021.
Questions? Contact Michella Sybesma, SDAHO’s Director of Education at Michella.sybesma@sdaho.org or 605-789-7528.
