Lisa Boss, PhD, RN, CNS, CEN
President, Texas Nurses Association, District 9
I distinctly remember my first year as a registered nurse. I was working on a medical/surgical floor in the Texas Medical Center, and I was scared, overwhelmed, and my highest priority was to get through the shift without any mistakes. I also remember the “older” nurses who had 20 years of experience. They drank their coffee, were confident, and seemed to have all the answers. I hoped that in 20 years I would have all the answers as well, and my shifts as a nurse would be as easy as theirs looked. I am currently in my 20th year of nursing, and I now I drink lots of coffee, but I don’t have all the answers and I don’t think any nurse would say their shifts are easy. In fact, I believe it’s even more difficult to be a nurse today than it was in 1997.
Despite the challenges we face as nurses everyday in the current healthcare environment…it’s an amazing time to be a nurse in Texas! It’s an amazing time to be a member of the Texas Nurses Association! Having the privilege to experience all the exciting activities in the legislature as it pertains to our profession has been such a pleasure. This is my 20th year of nursing, my 20th year as a member of Texas Nurses Association District 9, and I am honored to serve you as President. I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish this year, and in the next 20 years!
I will serve you as President for just one year, just a small window of time. During this time, I will do my best to move our association forward and ensure we are in alignment with the overall strategic goal of Texas Nurses Association, which is “to position Texas Nurses Association as a vibrant and growing membership organization that provides superior value to its members through engagement opportunities.” With your help, results of our alignment with this overall strategic goal will not be difficult, and I anticipate the results will be incredible.
There are many activities we have specifically designed for you to support Texas Nurses Association’s overall strategic goal. For example, this is our first year to be merged with former District 6 (Galveston area), and we have already held one successful educational event on the island. As you know, there are a large number of nurses and nursing students who work/live in the Galveston area with a wealth of knowledge and experience that adds significant value to District 9. We are ecstatic to include them in our District 9 family, and we have another event in Galveston planned for Spring 2018. We are also planning an Education Conference to be held in Summer 2018. In June 2017, we held our first Education Conference in almost 30 years and it was an overwhelming success. The topic was related to the current Opioid Crisis, and there were expert speakers and 70 people in attendance. More information to follow on both of these exciting events!
Thank you for your membership in Texas Nurses Association District 9. It is an honor to share this journey with you. I am looking forward to what we will accomplish together in the coming year!
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