The Evolution of Nursing Leadership with Dr. Jeanne Besner

Today I sit down with the admirable Dr. Jeanne Besner. Dr. Besner retired from full-time work with Alberta Health Services in 2011 after a 50 year career that spanned practice as a public health nurse and nurse practitioner in several communities in Canada’s north, as provincial nurse epidemiologist in Alberta, as well as director of public health nursing, director of primary care development, and founding director of the Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit with Alberta Health Services. She was invested to the Order of Canada in 2011 and was presented with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and has received numerous other accolades throughout her career. Dr. Besner shares her remarkable story as well as her passion and advocacy for the role that Registered Nurses play in leadership. She also talks about how nursing leadership has evolved and where it needs to go to continue to shape and influence our healthcare system.