By Heather Clower
The Parsons Advocate
If you have read The Parsons Advocate lately, you have seen the name Angela Bohon appears more than once. That is because at such a young age of 26, she has done so many amazing things and accomplished more than a lot of people do over an entire lifetime. Well, she has done it again as she was recently nominated and selected for the award of 40 under 40 Emerging Nurse Leaders. She received this award on September 28 at the Gala in Charleston.
The purpose of this award is to engage, support, and develop the next generation of Nurse Leaders in our state to open doors of possibilities as board members, mentors, and health policy makers, with hopes they will remain in West Virginia. There are expectations that go along with this honor such as to engage in at least one initiative, such as serving on a board or as a mentor, an ambassador, or team member for example. The nomination and selection process to even be considered for this award is extensive.
The nominee must meet qualification questions and provide photographs and references.
Once the selection committee receives all nominations, the daunting task of making a selection begins. The nominees must be under 40 years of age and have at least five years of experience as a Registered Nurse (RN) which demonstrates significant or unique contributions of leadership within healthcare. Alongside career oriented leadership, they must showcase their involvement in community affairs, professional organizations, or mentoring others in their leadership growth. Essay questions answered by those nominated must also accompany this application as well as proof of promotion of the nursing profession through volunteerism, outreach, or legislative or policy development.
“This opens many doors for me,” said Bohon. “This will allow me the opportunity to become a leader and become a mentor to fellow nurses throughout the state.” “It also allows me to join members of the future of nursing in their current projects, which are nurse entrepreneur project, creating a culture of health, and expanding access to care,” she explained. One of Bohon’s professors of her MSN program, Dr. Emily Barnes, was the individual who nominated her for this honor.
Bohon’s next plans are to join the nursing leadership team and help lead and mentor fellow nurses. “Specifically new nurses and help make the process of becoming a nurse an easy transition through mentorship and nurse residency programs,” she said. When mentioning how many honors she has received so quickly in life, she said, “Sometimes I’m still in disbelief that I’ve accomplished what I have and just turned 26, but I’ve always had a goal for myself in life to make a difference and that’s what I continue to strive for. I want to be a role model for your girls and boys, too. I want them to know just because you are from a small town, or your family doesn’t have a lot of money, or you’ve experienced a lot of heartache growing up, you are still capable of doing anything you want. Dream big, because no matter what, your opportunities in life are limitless.”
