Diane Whitehead, Ed.D., RN, associate dean of the nursing department in the College of Allied Health and Nursing, is a nurse but is not a big fan of how nursing is portrayed on TV.
“Why would you portray nursing so inappropriately when there is such a shortage of nurses?” Whitehead said. “You should be ashamed of yourself. What is a more important job than caring for [people] when they can’t take care of themselves?”
Seeing a nurse doing the job inspired her to pursue nursing.
“When I was a senior in high school, my father got tuberculosis, and the public health nurse used to visit our house, and I just got interesting in nursing,” Whitehead said. “All these years later, I love being a nurse. I’ve never been unhappy that I selected nursing.”
When her sister had leukemia, Whitehead donated stem cells to her twice, an experience she said gave her a new respect for nurses, including the ones who took care of her and her sister. She said the experience was life-changing and made her realize that life is short and that one needs to cherish the people one loves.
“My sister was only 47 when she died of leukemia, so you start to value more your health and the people who you love,” she said. “That includes your students and the people who you work with. It’s about planning and just enjoying the good things every day.”
Having worked in critical care and community health, Whitehead enjoys the flexibility and challenge of nursing.
“I think to be a really good nurse, you have to have a strong background in the sciences. You have to be able to prioritize. You have to have good communication skills,” Whitehead said. “I’ve met different patients and families, and that’s been very enjoyable. Everyday can be different.”
Whitehead was the department chair for nursing at Broward College. In 2002, Fred Lippman, Ed.D., chancellor of the Health Professions Division, invited Whitehead to help start the nursing program. The program started in January 2003 with 45 students in the registered nurse to bachelor’s in nursing program.
Today, Whitehead travels between the main campus and NSU’s Student Educational Centers in Orlando, Kendall and Fort Meyers.
“I have wonderful program directors, [who are] very competent, who do a lot by video conference with the faculty,” she said. “And it’s local travel. It’s not bad.”
Whitehead also serves on dissertation committees and teaches. She said when teaching graduate students, she focuses on current issues in nursing. When she teaches undergraduate students, she focuses on teaching them how to think like
a nurse.
“I enjoy teaching all levels of students,” she said. “I enjoy teaching the beginning students. They’re enthusiastic and they’re like little sponges to learn everything. [With] students who have been nurses, [I help] them to look at nursing from a different lens and take on a more professional role and maybe more of an advocacy role.”
Whitehead said she tells students that nursing is one of the most trusted professions and is a profound responsibility.
“If you’re not willing to take that responsibility, you need to think twice about it,” Whitehead said. “Somebody is entrusting their loved ones and their lives in your hands.”
As an administrator, Whitehead is responsible for the school’s budgeting and accreditation. She oversees the school’s marketing and directors who manage day-to-day operations. She said that part of being a good administrator was surrounding oneself with people one trusts and who can help
“To be an administrator, you have to have a lot of energy, and I think you have to really know yourself,” she said. “You have to be able to identify when those stressful moments are really getting the best of you. Take a breath and learn to manage that.”
Whitehead is a member of the National League for Nursing and is a fellow with its Academy of Nurse Educators. In 2007, the “South Florida Business Journal” named her a Heavy Hitter in Healthcare. She was one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Broward County in 2009. She has also written five editions of a textbook called “Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management.” Whitehead likes classical, rock and jazz music and the theater and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, exercising and reading mysteries.
Whitehead’s philosophy is “Try to treat everybody the way you would want them to treat you” and another statement which she said is typical of nurses: “If somebody’s not dying, it’s really not a crisis, and we can fix it.”
“If something doesn’t work the first time, we’ll just go to plan B and figure out what we can do,” Whitehead said. “I know that I’m one of those people [who think] the glass is always half full. It gets busy and people get stressed, but in the end, I think we’re all there to further the profession of nursing and have wonderful students and help them to grow.”
