OR Manager August 2022 - 6

Leadership Series
Leadership
Continued from page 1
Ball worked in the White House in
1994 representing nurses in specialty
practice when the Bill Clinton administration
task force, under Hillary Clinton
as its chair, was attempting healthcare
reform. She has written four editions
of Lasers: The Perioperative Challenge
along with various chapters and articles
on surgical and nursing issues.
Ball planned and assisted with the first
laser surgery on a dolphin at SeaWorld
and continues to lecture on laser surgery
and surgical smoke evacuation
practices throughout the world.
Q: How did you get involved in
legislation?
I have always been involved with ONA,
but not legislatively. I read up on various
policy initiatives over the years as
a young nurse, mostly to keep up with
current events. It wasn't until I was involved
with AORN that I really got into
legislation.
When I was president of AORN in
1992-1993, I learned how critically important
it was to be involved legislatively.
When I was done with my presidency,
I was voted in to be vice chair
of the Nursing Organization Liaison
Forum (NOLF). This was an organization
within the American Nurses Association
that represented specialty organizations.
There were 78 specialty organizations
from men in nursing, critical care
nurses, nurse anesthetists, OR nurses,
and so on. I had outreach to a lot of different
nurses.
In 1994, I was asked to come to
Washington DC and help the Clinton
administration with healthcare reform
representing nurses in specialty practice.
That immersed me in the legislative
process. I came home and helped
ONA set up a statewide NOLF, which
is now called The Alliance. That means
ONA has outreach to specialty organiza6
OR
Manager | August 2022
tions and even to presidents or chairs
of nursing programs throughout Ohio.
That is great outreach that still goes on
today.
Working legislatively means helping
each other prosper in a collaborative adventure.
One of the last things I did as
president of AORN was collaborate with
the American Society of PeriAnesthesia
Nurses and the American Association
of Nurse Anesthesiology. We worked so
closely together that our three organizations
had a national conference in San
Diego in 1993. It put those three organizations
very closely in tune to each
other, and to this day they still are very
close.
ate candidates in the Mid-Ohio District
to come and answer questions from
nursing professionals. We will have a
room full of nurses, and my hope is that
they leave the experience with an understanding
of the legislation we should
be supporting and how easily they can
have relationships with their legislators
themselves.
State and regional
representatives
listen to their nurse
constituents.
Leaders have to be aware of what is
going on legislatively in their states as
well as nationally. We have people looking
to us for direction, and we will fail in
carrying our people forward if we are not
well informed.
Right now, I am the chairman of the
Ohio Nurses Association Health Policy
Council, and we mainly keep track of
legislative activity in Ohio. We are currently
working on workplace violence
legislation, which is needed more now
than ever before. And of course, a good
part of my career has been my drive
to enact smoke evacuation legislation.
Nine states are now smoke free because
of the passion of perioperative
nurses.
Legislatively, it is so important for
nurses to get involved and stay involved.
I am now setting up a " Candidates
Night " for Ohio House and SenOur
representatives will listen to
nurses, and they are available as resources
to us. I text my Ohio legislators
all the time to ask, " Well, what's going
on with this or that? " And in turn, I am
a resource to them. They think of me
when they come across healthcare issues
they do not understand, and I honestly
feel like my input helps them draft
legislation that is more conscientious
and effective to solve real healthcare
issues.
A leader has to have that awareness
of what is going on to survive because
that knowledge will get tested at some
point. Nurses say they want a seat at
the table all the time-when they get it,
they have to show why they are meant
to be there.
Q: What other experiences
helped form you as a leader?
My leadership style is shared governance.
I feel that leaders should enable
their followers to make decisions based
on their knowledge and skill levels on
important decisions regarding patient
care and their workplace environments.
If the decision is too radical or not practical,
then the leader needs to explore
the root of the decision and make corrections
as needed, especially if there
is false information.
Exciting people about going back to
school is part of mentoring. Education
and experience are key for leaders.
I
continued to evolve in my leadership
abilities as I gained more education
and experience. This, in turn, elevated
my skill level in a variety of different
areas. I have had mentors who actively
participated in helping me advance my
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