Amy Funderburk, DNP, RN - Empowering & Equipping Nurses to Lead the Charge

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast. In today's episode, we have Amy Funderburg, a nurse with more than 24 years of experience that is passionate about helping nurses become business partners and leaders in the healthcare industry. Amy has recently published her book titled Claim Your Seat: Mastering the Seven Keys to Business of Healthcare. And she loves helping leaders as they transition through the course of their career from bedside to the boardroom. So let's welcome Amy to the show. Welcome to the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast, brought to you by The Nurse Speak, a show where we rally some of our nation's greatest nurse leaders, educators, experts, and advocates to tackle some of our greatest challenges that the nursing profession faces. My name is Damion Jenkins, and I'm your host for this show. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn that nurses can do anything. Okay, so thank you so much, Amy, for being with us today on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast. Why don't you go ahead and take a moment and introduce yourself to the listeners and let them know where you started and where you are today in your nursing career?

Sounds good. I'm happy to be here. Thanks so much for having me. I am a 24-year nurse. I started out as a oncology bone marrow transplant nurse, moved into high-risk OB, and then ultimately ended up in leadership, almost felt like by accident. When my husband relocated to another state and I was looking for a position, I really thought it was hilarious that this organization would take a chance to make me a nurse manager. And I so appreciated the opportunity there to learn this whole new specialty.. And so as I have developed through the years, so I started out as a nurse manager, I became a Magnet program director for a hospital where I worked on policies, procedures, shared governance, all of those fun things. I've since become a market director. I've worked as a CNO. That's currently where I work, and in a twice-designated Magnet facility in my background. And I've taught with several different universities, either as a guest instructor, adjunct faculty, or even temporary instructor, and absolutely love the field of leadership and find it such a critical role for the future of nursing. So very excited to continue to mentor and coach people through, uh, that transition.

Wow, so many things that you've accomplished, and no wonder you're finding yourself really enjoying leadership, because really a lot of the roles that you had were all leadership roles. That's one thing that nurses don't understand that even your very first job as a nurse, you're jumping into a leadership role because we are leading the care that patients are getting. So this is pretty amazing. So during your experience as a leader, um, what are some of the problems that you've identified that really challenge nurses and the nursing profession?

Sure. Well, you know, as nurses, we're taught to be amazing clinicians. I mean, that's what we spend most of our time on, is how to give excellent patient care, how to assess evidence-based practice and integrate it, all of those great things that make us great nurses. But what we're not taught, and unless we specifically go back to school for it, we're not taught the business of healthcare. And for us to really truly claim our seat, as I call it, at the table, and to be a partner with people as we're trying to drive the future of healthcare, we've got to speak the entire language of healthcare. Which means that we have got to be able to understand the finance, argue for the finance so that we can advocate for resources, programs, and things we want to develop. And I remember, you know, one of the funny stories I always share with people is when I first became a nurse manager, I was sitting in my first big meeting and they started presenting our, our monthly statistics. And I remember thinking, what is EBITDA? And what is— why is capital different from regular budget? And You know, those just aren't things that you sit down and have a conversation with. And the reason I've been able to develop that expertise through the years is because I had amazing mentors and coaches who sat down and taught me those things. And so that's what I really feel strongly about continuing to do for our future of nursing.

Very, very smart idea, really getting in and making sure that nurses are empowered with that information. Right. That we're often left out of. We don't get information from administrators or nursing execs or presidents of hospitals about why certain budgetary things are being trickled down to nursing, why managers can't hire that extra nurse that we're begging for because we don't understand the ins and outs of the financial aspect of healthcare. And we know healthcare is very expensive. We do know that. But I can see where you've identified the issue of, improving financial intelligence, making sure people understand the ins and outs of finance— finances and healthcare, how that could really help empower us to make the changes that need to be made so that we can enhance our profession. And so can you give a very specific example perhaps about where you see having that additional insight or knowledge of financial intelligence with healthcare could have helped or has helped nurses improve their practice?

You know, absolutely. I think that even budget year to budget year, sitting down and saying, this is why the staffing plan needs to be this, which means this is what we need to hire, and these are the patients we're taking care of, and is our benchmark correct? Because there's been several times I've gone into a hospital and looked at a benchmark for a unit that maybe was done 10 years ago and finance just keeps updating it every year. But finance doesn't know some of the intricacies of what's happened on the unit, the way patients have changed. And while they try very hard and many do a good job, you know, they have to have us as a partner to sit down and say, well, actually what has happened is, you know, XYZ. And that really helps explain, you know, for example, a great, uh, example of this is taking care of adult autistic patients. They don't fit into the behavioral health spectrum, but they aren't a straight med surg patient, but we're not equipped in many ways to take care of some of the needs of this type of patient population. So we're really challenged in how do we advocate for when we need to flex resources or not. And in other cases, it could be that we say, hey, we really wanna do this program. So I wanna partner with these physicians and start this program. Well, if I can go in with a program plan, a business plan, and say, this is what it's going to cost, here's when we break even, here's when we start making money, or if we don't, here's why this is still important and what advantage it could bring us down the road, or, you know, maybe it just increases our footprint and our patients served, you know. So we need to be able to go and advocate for those things. And if we can do that successfully, and I've seen that happen so many times, then we're invited into more and more conversations. And next thing you know, you know, we're up at the table all the time. We're the part of the C-suite. We're not just as a chief nurse, but as a COO and a CEO who is really helping to guide that care that's happening in the community.

Yeah, that's so important. And so, you know, being in many leadership positions myself, unless I was in the C-suite, CNO or COO's office, I still often was not privy to some of this information or decision-making that really could probably benefit the nurses had they known that these decisions are happening for financial reasons. And maybe we can use our resources that we have, our talents, to compromise, to band together and get around it, because that's what nurses do anyway, and figure out a way to make it work. Do you have any tips for how the bedside nurse or the charge nurse or even the nurse manager could maybe interact with some of the nurse executives in their facility to get this information so that they can do better decision-making and even rally the troops to get around some of the challenges that we face?

Right, right. Well, this is definitely a lot of what I love doing and what I spend time with people doing when I start working with their teams or start working with them as individuals is I really coach them on, well, who are your contacts? Because so often we get stuck in a hierarchy in our thinking. And I think, oh, it's not OK for me to reach out to so-and-so. Or it's not OK for me to go and ask for an appointment with the CFO or the director of finance or whoever that is. And in reality, they're just as happy to hear from you as you are to learn from them. And when you can bring from a shared governance perspective back— and I think they've got to go to their directors and say, I really want to understand this. Sometimes the directors don't, sometimes the managers don't. So they've got to learn as well, which is why, you know, I spend so much time coaching people on that is, hey, well, let's talk about who do you go talk to? What do you need to know? Here's some great questions to ask. And so often you can start with the basics. Help me understand why we're staffed the way we're staffed. You know, tell me about productivity, the big word nobody wants to hear, right? Tell me about budgeting. And you know, they'll sit down and they'd love to show you the plan. And sometimes that's where great conversations start. So the first thing I tell people is don't be afraid to ask. You know, certainly you want to honor your hierarchy. You're not trying to go around somebody, but if you're willing to learn, people are usually willing to teach. So don't be afraid to reach out and talk to them. Awesome. And you know, know who the right people are to talk to.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah. So that, that could be such a key.

Yeah, that's, that's major. Um, knowing who you can reach out to is one of the first questions you should ask that I always tell individuals as well, is find out who you can reach out to. You know, if your manager doesn't know, then maybe, you know, they can find out for you.

Yeah.

So yeah, respecting hierarchy is important, but I've never really understood why someone in a leadership position would get offended if someone went through through a couple, you know, you know, ranks, if you will, and came directly to them. I can understand if it was like very intrusive or demanding or, you know, if, if it was unprofessional. But if I'm passing by or if we're in a general meeting and there's a minute to spare and I just ask a question, I've never really understood why some people get offended or why they may push back on the question. And I ultimately feel like either it's because they don't know the answer, or they were just blindsided and they didn't have an opportunity to prepare for an answer because they didn't expect it from you. Right. Sometimes those unexpected questions get the most response. Um, so, you know, yes, respect your hierarchy, but don't let any question go unturned. I find that to be so important as well. So awesome. So let's talk a little bit about what you've done Specifically, you like to coach, you like to grow nurses and empower them, figure out how you can help them. But what are some systems that you've personally set in place so that you can develop strategies for success to get around these barriers that, so that, you know, kind of plague nursing with not being in the suites making this decisions and having a seat at the table?

Yeah, you know, so much I've learned through the years is emotional intelligence. You know, when I first started as a leader, I thought, I'm going to be transparent, I'm not going to be the yes man, and I'm going to say it if it needs to be said. And what you don't realize all the time is how much more powerful you can be when you know when to say it, who to say it to, how to say it. And, you know, even more importantly, when you've developed relationships with people so that what you say carries weight. And, you know, so what I like to sit down with people and do is I like to sit down and often I'll do a personality assessment with them. I'm a DiSC certified trainer. So I'll sit down and do a personality assessment because first in emotional intelligence, you have to know yourself. And then once you know yourself, you've got to manage yourself. So what are my triggers? What things might I be reacting to that maybe I shouldn't react to, or I should react differently to, or, or Or, you know, this is a good time for me to react. And then of course, you know, the, the other two parts are the outward-facing parts of emotional intelligence. How do I manage my social awareness? So can I read the room? Can I understand how this is being accepted? Or am I— my communication not moving through? And then of course the final piece that we really work on is relationship management, because all relationships take some level of work. So what does that look like? What's effective? And You know, so those are the things I really do to approach working with someone or working with the team often to really help them understand what are their styles. Because, you know, I can come in and be the D style. I'm very decisive. I can be dominant. I can be passionate. My passion can sometimes read as being pushy. So I don't want to be that. I need to be aware of how I'm coming across and being read by people in the room, whereas I don't have a high level of I, where I just talk to everybody all the time and they're the ones who just can sell it. Right. So I want to find my eye and I want to partner up with them and say, hey, this is what we got to get done. How do we message this to people? So, you know, when you really start leveraging the strengths of the team around you and you start leveraging those relationships so that you guys can win together, that takes you to a whole nother level of play. And that's where I really love seeing that. So Yeah, I've worked with people along all spectrums, whether they're brand new and we're just working on what does this role of leader even look like, and, or whether they're really looking to advance from, you know, an executive position to a C-suite position and continue to move up. So that's where I really love seeing those light bulbs and seeing that really all come together.

Yeah. So something you said about leveraging the strengths of those around you and that That is so important in building a strong team, really focusing on ways to use what you have to get the job done, to go beyond the standards of norm and make some pretty amazing things happen. So that's really insightful. Thank you for sharing that. And so you have recently written a book, right?

I did. I did. I wrote a book. I was teaching a healthcare finance class in the master's program, and I thought, I really should just put these thoughts together. And so I started putting it together. I realized it was so much more than finance. So it's called Claim Your Seat: Mastering the 7 Keys to the Business of Healthcare. And I talk about in there a little bit of everything we've talked about. Mastering operations. You can get caught up, your entire calendar for 10 hours, 12 hours a day filled if you're not careful. How do you master that? What's truly a priority? How do you master all the data coming at you? You know, what do I look at? How do I even absorb it? You know, those types of things. Mastering finance, that's a huge piece. How do I speak the, you know, language of money? And then of course mastering communication, mastering my message. How do I speak? How am I presenting? Which also goes with mastering my presence. How am I being seen? You know, mastering human resources. I've got to get good at that. And that's hard. We're, as nurses, we're such nurturers and we want to fix everything. We want to make everyone feel good.

And give everything away.

Right, right. We just pour and pour and we're not giving, taking care of ourselves, right? So, you know, one of my favorite quotes is, you know, um, the best way to honor those who are doing a great job is by addressing those who don't. So learning how to do that in a compassionate but yet honorable way so that you're consistent. And of course, managing yourself, um, your self-care, you know, all of those different pieces that go within, because we can burn out so quickly as leaders. We burn out just as quickly as the bedside, right? Yep. And we've got to be careful. So, so that's what I really started addressing in that book. And, um, I was really excited how it came together. I'm really happy with that.

That's great. So this sounds like a really awesome resource for anyone who wants to learn more about healthcare finances and how to understand that beast of a world that we have.

Yes.

The, the whole problem that surrounds healthcare as it is, is money.

Right.

So where can people find your book if they're looking for it?

Absolutely. I'm on Amazon, so ebook or in print, or you could go to my website directly and order from me. So, you know, either way that works. But, you know, most people go to Amazon. That's quick and easy. They've got Prime.

Awesome.

Yeah.

Yeah. Awesome. And so, you know, with all of the 24 years of nursing experience that you have, and then I'm sure I'm sure you had some life experiences before you became a nurse, and then things you're also learning along the way, because we're not only our profession, we're so much more. What other products, services, or resources do you provide to help nurses develop strategies for success? How can you guide them to level up their practice and really take it to the next level?

No, I like to really sit with each person individually and understand what their needs are. So I usually do a free discovery call with people to say, hey, what is it that I can even help you with? So we sit down and we say, you know, okay, so it's X or it's Y. And there have been a few times where I've said, you know, I've got the perfect person to you, let me refer you to this person in my network. Or I've sat down and said, okay, here's the plan I would recommend for you, and this is how we could move forward. So again, I've done some group coaching, I've done one-to-one, it really depends on that person's need. I don't sit down and say, this is the only thing I do, and, and, you know, you fit in the box or you don't. So I really like to work with that individual based on what their needs are and what their goals are. You know, is your goal to continue moving up? Is it that you want to do succession planning for who's going to replace you? You know, so there, there's all, uh, such a variety of goals that people can have that I really like to spend that time sitting with them and saying, hey, how can we work best together? So I do offer that free opportunity at my website on weelevate.org.

Awesome. Weelevate.org. You hear that, everyone? So make sure you go over there and check Amy out and everything that she has going on. Where else can individuals connect with you, Amy? What other social platforms are you on?

I am on Facebook. I have a We Elevate page on Facebook. It's usually right under We Elevate. And I am also on LinkedIn, of course. Uh, just find me on Amy Funderburg, of course, is the most active page that I'm on. I do have a We Elevate page, but I tend to find I have more interaction on my personal page. So, you know, definitely reach out. I would love to talk to you there.

Awesome, thank you so much. So look, it sounds like you have been through so many opportunities to learn from, uh, your nursing experience and leadership positions. I'm definitely going to be reaching out and following up to see how I can develop more strategies for nursing success. I really I really appreciate you taking the time to be on the show today and let everyone know a little bit about yourself and how you've helped people step into the next phase of their nursing leadership success. So thanks so much for being here with us.

Thank you, Damion. I really appreciate the time and you putting this platform together. It's great.

My pleasure. Thanks so much.

Thanks. You have a great day.

You too. And that concludes today's episode on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with special guest Amy Funderburg. We hope that you enjoyed today's episode. If you have any questions for either me or Amy, feel free to go to thenursespeak.com/podcast, and you can find all of the ways to get in touch with Amy in the show notes. You can also go to thenursespeak.com/contact and get in touch with me if you have any specific questions for me. We hope you enjoyed all of these wonderful strategies for success, and until next episode, take care, be well, and remember that nurses can do anything.