Dr. Blair goes above and beyond every day to support nurses in providing patients and families with excellent, compassionate clinical care. She is recognized by her peers for her leadership and dedication to the nursing profession. This recognition includes being nominated for and receiving the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award in July 2021. She fosters the development of nurse leaders, as evidenced by her leadership and commitment to the nursing profession. For example, on September 25, 2023 in collaboration with the Director of Education and Professional Development, a Nurse Leader Collaborative Event was designed specifically for nurse leaders. This leadership development activity enhanced role competence for nurse leaders by focusing on growing the leader within to become more effective as an individual leader and, therefore, more effective as a member of the leadership team. The objectives of this event included:

1.    Deepen the awareness of personal leadership and gain insights into living in the presence.
2.    Explore behaviors of the drama triangle, including those of coach, creator, and challenger.
3.    Identify actions to take to be a more effective leader.
4.    Promote the value of nursing.

As the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for Baptist Health Richmond (BHR), she promotes the value of nursing by making herself available to all levels of nursing. She is accessible to nurse leaders, as well as to direct care nurses, so that she may better understand their needs and garner their ideas and opinions on how best to support them as they work together to improve patient outcomes, the work environment, their well-being, and career/staff development opportunities. She is accessible through a variety of means, including, but not limited to, senior leader/nurse leader rounding, daily management huddle rounding, formal requests, email, practice quality committees, and open-door practices.

In addition, she is one of the presenters for BHR’s charge nurse program, as well as involved in recognition, celebration, community events, and activities that promote the value of nursing. Dr. Blair not only talks the talk but walks the walk, as a role model to all nurses that she encounters. She exemplifies the value and engagement of KONL membership, as she is a long-time active member of KONL. In addition to her membership, she has also served as the Cumberland District Director, presenter and panelist at various KONL conferences, attendee of conferences, and a facility host for KONL meetings. She encourages nurses to be active members in professional organizations by sharing her experiences, which gives first-hand examples of the value of membership and the importance of engagement and networking with each other.  

She is the nurse leader that I wish everyone could have. She is genuine, honest, and hard-working. She has a mission and vision to make the nursing profession continuously better for those currently in the field but also for those considering going into nursing as a career choice. She is actively involved in mentoring high school students, nursing students, as well as current nurses. For example, she serves as an adjunct faculty member for a DNP school of nursing program, has received numerous awards and honors, has presented educational presentations, and has published scholarly work. She continues to serve in numerous professional organizations, and she volunteers hours of her time to provide nursing leadership to others and enhance the nursing profession.

Her background as a previous Director of Education enhances her ability to promote a culture of safety, quality, and patient experience. She is a driving force and advocate for improvement in many aspects of nursing care. She is instrumental in developing nursing strategic plans and setting annual goals. She makes others better by supporting and allowing them to grow into what she believes they can be. 

Note: This is Dr. Blair's 2nd DAISY Award!