At the end of 2014, the Nurses on Boards Coalition was formed to promote the increase of nurses on corporate and nonprofit health-related boards of directors in the United States. The Coalition consists of 21 national organizations, such as the American Nurses Association, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to a 2011 American Hospital Association survey, nurses comprised 6 percent of the hospital board members. This was in contrast to physicians, who represented 20 percent of hospital boards.

The landmark Institute of Medicine report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health," clearly states that "nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other healthcare professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States." It is clear that in order for our complex healthcare system to be successful, key stakeholders, such as nurses, need to be in key decision-making positions.

"Without a nurse trustee, boards lack an authority on the patient experience, quality and safety, and the largest part of the hospital workforce," Trustee Magazine, a publication of the American Hospital Association, wrote recently.

The goal of the coalition is to put 10,000 nurses on boards by the year 2020. A national strategy will be implemented to bring nurses' valuable perspective to governing boards.

Some factors that impede more nurses on boards are the perceptions that nurses are not key decision-makers like their physician counterparts. Gender bias and the lack of knowledge of nursing skills — such as leadership and problem solving have also been cited as road blocks to suggesting nurses on more boards.

Board members are often expected to make financial contributions to the institutions they serve and, therefore, fitting candidates are sought after. Nursing is again often overlooked.

However, the nurses' intangible expertise in serving on a board is similar to that of attorneys or bankers who serve for their unique expertise. Nurses also contribute their unique skill set and understanding of the intricacies of healthcare.

For organizations to remain viable in the ever-changing and complex healthcare environment, their leadership needs to be skillful in their positioning and decision-making. Nurses' intimate knowledge of patient care allows them to assist in quality measures and cost containment. Therefore, boards will need to recognize the breadth and depth of the skills nurses have to offer.

With more than 3.1 million nurses in the U.S., there are no shortages for potential candidates. If a board can find any other board member, they certainly can locate a capable nurse leader. The goal of the Coalition is to highlight nursing's unique skill set and their value to boards and healthcare in general. However, nurses need to position themselves as well.

Nurses need to step up and volunteer for leadership positions and committees. Nurses will need to be more proactive in demonstrating their value to leadership. As new nurses are appointed, they hold the important task of demonstrating sound leadership decisions and recommending more nurses, especially if they need to step down.

The old days of board members being chosen by "who you know" must be a thing of the past if healthcare organizations want to continue to be viable. Boards need to seek members who understand patient care and will make decisions that will continue to improve quality while contain cost.

The nurse is the perfectly positioned candidate.