Secretary/Treasurer Candidate
Christopher Parker
MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CNL, NRP, TCRN
Virginia
clparker2008@gmail.com
Why do you seek an officer position on the ENA Board of Directors?
I am drawn to this opportunity because I see ENA as the voice of every emergency nurse everywhere, and I want to AMPLIFY that voice. ENA is the safety net for the profession of emergency nursing – providing best practices not just for ENA members, but the entire profession.
I am grounded by the principle that we are all in this together. In an age where the healthcare system is broken and fragmented, we know that emergency care is a team sport. As emergency nurses, we cannot take care of patients alone, and solving the challenges we face cannot be done in isolation. To accelerate innovation, we must leverage our relationships with other emergency care clinicians as we work together to better serve our patients and each other.
I aspire to leverage my leadership skills, experience, and vision to drive organizational excellence, enhance operational efficiency, and promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity. I am deeply committed to upholding ENA’s mission and values and believe that serving as an officer on the board will enable me to have a greater impact in guiding the organization towards its objectives and ensuring its long-term success.
How does your academic, professional background and experience on the ENA Board make you a qualified officer candidate?
My academic and professional background, coupled with my experience on the ENA Board, uniquely qualify me as a strong candidate for an officer position.
Academically, my degrees and certifications have equipped me with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership and decision-making in complex organizational settings.
Professionally, my work experience is varied including prehospital, emergency department, aeromedical, academia, and now nursing professional development Through these roles, I have honed my abilities in strategic planning, financial management, team leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
My experience serving on the ENA Board has provided invaluable insights into the intricacies of board governance, the challenges facing the healthcare industry, and the specific needs of emergency nurses. During my tenure, I have actively participated in shaping the organization's strategic direction, advocating for the interests of not only our members, but also the profession itself.
As an officer candidate, I am poised to leverage this combined academic, professional, and board experience to provide uphold the ENA's mission of advancing emergency nursing excellence. I am committed to fostering collaboration, transparency, and accountability within the board and working tirelessly to advance the ENA's objectives for the benefit of its members and the broader healthcare community.
Outline the specific contributions you hope to make as you continue your role on the Board in an officer position.
I want every emergency nurse to know ENA and see the organization as the preferred resource for our practice and our profession. I am a strong advocate for the interests of emergency nursing professionals and the broader healthcare community. I want to strengthen partnerships that will support our mission and our members. By understanding the root cause of the challenges our profession faces, I will bring appropriate stakeholders together to develop solutions that work, improving our practice environment.
Member engagement is critical to the future of ENA. I will prioritize efforts to enhance engagement and support by listening to member needs, concerns, and feedback. Fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration, I aim to strengthen the sense of community within ENA and ensure that members and leaders have access to the resources, education, and networking opportunities they need to thrive in their roles.
I am dedicated to serving the organization with integrity, passion, and a relentless commitment to excellence. I look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow board members to drive positive change, make a meaningful impact, and ensure the continued success of ENA.
Provide a narrative that exemplifies how you demonstrate the Board competencies.
I practice many of the board competencies during my day-to-day responsibilities in both my professional and volunteer leadership roles. As the Clinical Professional Development manager, I led an interdisciplinary work team to investigate onboarding practices of the organization. The investigation identified opportunities for process improvement, which to led to collaboration with the stakeholders to create standard work and processes to prevent these gaps.
As a board member, I consistently engage in efforts to drive the organization's mission forward. Recently, I was appointed to the Pediatric Readiness Project Steering committee to represent ENA as a strategic partner focusing on addressing identified pediatric readiness gaps within the practice environment. This role allows me to amplify ENA’s voice on the journey to improve pediatric emergency care.
Often, we are faced with decisions that not only affect members, but the entire emergency nursing profession. I consistently bring a forward-thinking perspective, challenging conventional assumptions and exploring new avenues for advancement while collaborating with my board colleagues. My strategic mindset enables me to envision the organization's long-term success and identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
My demonstrated competencies in collaboration, decision-making, strategic thinking, and professionalism position me to effectively fill the role of Secretary/Treasurer.
