By Pareasa Rahimi
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Professor and Nurse Executive Pathway Director Heather Nelson-Brantley, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, is President-Elect of the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing. ALSN is an international association dedicated to uniting academic and practice leaders to shape leadership science, education in nursing and the practice of nursing leadership.
“I’m incredibly honored to be elected President-Elect of ALSN. It has been awesome to see how far we’ve come in the past decade,” Nelson-Brantley said. “As President-Elect, I will build on that momentum, uniting our members around our shared vision of advancing nursing leadership research and education. I will ensure ALSN continues to provide a unique environment where nurse leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences connect, feel a sense of belonging, and thrive.”
Nelson-Brantley’s involvement and contributions to ALSN precede her recent election. She has served two terms as Vice President of Research, during which she strengthened the organization by bringing together nurse leaders in research and practice to innovatively overcome barriers that have historically limited the field’s research and impact. She currently leads ALSN’s research committee on groundbreaking research examining nurses’ use of social media and job decision-making. She also partnered with the ALSN treasurer to establish the ALSN Research Fund, raising $30,000 and funding two studies in two years.
In 2021, Nelson-Brantley co-developed the Nursing Leadership and Systems Science Council, the first formalized collaboration between ALSN and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Foundation. In addition, she has been an ALSN Perspectives Column Editor for the Journal of Nursing Administration for three years as well as a member of the ALSN Research Committee for six years.
“ALSN has been my professional home since 2013. Like many ALSN members, when I discovered the organization, I felt I had finally found my people,” Nelson-Brantley said.
Nelson-Brantley also is a Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leaders and Innovators Fellow. She has received several awards for her expertise in nursing leadership research and education, including the ALSN Early Careerist Award, Faculty Research Investigator Award and the DAISY Faculty Award.
Nelson-Brantley will assume the role in January 2024.
