Director Candidate
Vanessa Gorman
MSN, RN, CCRN, FAEN, FCENA
Australia
vanessa.gorman@ambulance.vic.gov.au
Why do you seek a position on the ENA Board of Directors?
My passion for emergency nursing has not wavered in my 28-year career. My experience in emergency clinical care, management, and leadership I believe allows me the opportunity to contribute effectively to ensuring the future of emergency nursing.
Having the privilege of serving members and emergency nurses globally through a professional organization such as ENA is humbling. I have valued my time gaining a greater understanding of the organization and how we develop and implement strategies that have far-reaching consequences.
I’m dedicated to continuing my professional development and have high aspirations for achievement. My professional ambitions, which I have been working toward for the past three years, will be achieved by this Board of Director position. I’ve made an investment in developing my understanding of how ENA operates internally, fostering deeper bonds with others, and enhancing communication with our state leaders.
The position requires the person to be of high integrity and have the trust of not only the board, the members, but internal and external stakeholders also. I am a highly regarded trustworthy professional who maintains the highest of integrity.
I am prepared to take on the responsibilities of a Board of Director to grow and support ENA’s strategic vision.
How does your academic, professional background and experience on the ENA Board make you a qualified Board candidate?
I have demonstrated initiative, desire, and enthusiasm in the boardroom to make sure that our organization keeps striving for excellence. My leadership, teamwork, governance, and strategic thinking skills have supported strong board performance and culture. I have grown in my corporate governance knowledge and personally learnt more about my power of influence.
I have held senior leadership positions in State Government and have experience in the clinical area, education, projects, and quality improvement. My professional development has been facilitated by all these roles, which strengthens my case for a Director position with ENA.
I hold a Masters in Speciality Nursing and have just commenced my Doctor of Nursing Practice – Executive Leadership. I’m a published author on topics related to emergency nursing and have presented at conferences globally.
Having near three years of experience as a Board Director, I possess the competence and confidence needed to guarantee that board decisions—which depend on precise organization data to guide choices and set objectives—are made with assurance.
I currently manage a $100 million budget as the Director of Clinical Operations, and I have a strong background in emergency department business and finance. This supports my ability to think strategically in large fiscal environments.
Outline the specific skills you bring, or contributions you hope to make to the ENA Board of Directors.
I am a highly collaborative leader who enjoys working with a diverse group of people to ensure the strategic direction of ENA is achieved. I achieve this by inviting and supporting others to provide feedback, ensuring robust decision making occurs. I have the skills to encourage us as a Board to approach issues with a sense of curiosity.
To this, I value my effective communication skills and professional integrity, being mindful of others in the room and encouraging all voices to be heard.
I have strong business acumen skills with an ability to be highly organized and prioritize tasks, so that I can contribute positively to the work of the Board and support ENA staff. I have strong finance and business skills and hold a nominal Regional Director role that requires me to be strategic, visionary and manage the business. This strengthens my ability to represent ENA members and the wider ED nursing community well.
Lastly, I am highly strategic in my thinking with strong emotional intelligence, this allows me to think 'blue sky' whilst recognizing the needs of ENA business and balance them against the needs of the ED Nursing community and the desire to take our profession forward.
Provide a narrative that exemplifies how you demonstrate the Board competencies.
Whilst it is easy to describe how I have shown my visible skills and experiences against the board competencies, what sometimes is not obvious is those invisible skills and experiences. I always strive to display a professional attitude that focuses on supporting others to achieve their goals, whether that be through mentoring members in developing countries or supporting councils to drive member engagement and development. I demonstrate a strong ability to meet the six board competencies through my level of emotional intelligence.
As a Board Director, I have concentrated on developing positive partnerships and connections with stakeholders by asking for and accepting input, pushing people to develop their strategic thinking abilities, and even increasing my own self-assurance in taking responsibility for decisions.
How did I accomplish this? I've had success by altering the way I collaborate with groups, increasing inclusion, and providing an example of how we might jointly establish goals or plans. Challenging others to ‘think of it from a different perspective.’
In my experience, being vulnerable with groups has been essential to demonstrating authentic leadership, whether it is in my capacity as the state ED nurse liaison for ED harm reduction, or in leading an ENA volunteer committee.
