Founding Dean of the College of Nursing at Columbia Southern University, Dr. Bonny Kehm, Ph.D

Dr. Bonny Kehm is the Founding Dean and Assistant Provost of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Columbia Southern University. She’s an accomplished nurse educator, researcher, and leader whose work has had a substantial influence at both the state and national levels.

Appointed to the Missouri State Board of Nursing back in 2017, Dr. Kehm went on to serve as board president and contributed to vital initiatives through the Nursing Education Committee. Her leadership has influenced policy, program development, and the academic standards that shape how nurses are educated today.

Beyond her administrative and regulatory work, she’s also a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing and has been recognized with multiple awards for her excellence in education and scholarship.

What I love about Dr. Kehm’s story is how she blends deep clinical experience with a passion for education, innovation, and mentorship. I’m inspired after hearing her insights on leadership and the future of nursing. Her dedication to shaping compassionate and confident nurse leaders is making a lasting impact, and I know you will walk away feeling motivated and hopeful.

In the five-minute snippet: This one came out of nowhere. For Bonny's bio, visit my website (link below).

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Transcript

[00:03] Michelle: Dr. Bonny Kehm is the founding Dean and Assistant Provost of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Columbia Southern University.

[00:12] She's an accomplished nurse educator,

[00:14] researcher, and leader whose work has had a substantial influence at both the state and national levels.

[00:23] Appointed to the Missouri State Board of nursing back in 2017, Dr. Kehm went on to serve as board president and contributed to vital initiatives through the Nursing Education Committee.

[00:35] Her leadership has influenced policy,

[00:38] program development,

[00:39] and the academic standards that shape how nurses are educated today.

[00:45] Beyond her administrative and regulatory work,

[00:48] Bonny is also a certified nurse educator through the National League for Nursing and has been recognized with multiple awards for her excellence in education and scholarship.

[01:00] What I love about Dr. Kehm's story is how she blends deep clinical experience with a passion for education,

[01:08] innovation, and mentorship.

[01:10] I am inspired after hearing her insights on leadership and the future of nursing.

[01:16] Her dedication to shaping compassionate and confident nurse leaders is making a lasting impact,

[01:23] and I know you will walk away feeling motivated and hopeful. In the five minute snippet:

[01:31] This one came out of nowhere.

[01:49] Well, good morning, Bonny. Welcome to the podcast.

[01:53] Bonny: Good morning, Michelle. Thanks for having me. Hello, listeners.

[01:56] Michelle: Yes, it's my pleasure, Bonny

[02:00] We were introduced by Dr. Nancy Bellucci,

[02:05] and I had so much fun interviewing Nancy. She's just brilliant. She's the academic program nursing director there at Columbia Southern University,

[02:16] and she said, you absolutely have to speak to Bonny.

[02:20] I'm so glad that she connected us.

[02:22] Bonny: I am, too. And you are right, Nancy is brilliant. I'm very glad she connected us as well.

[02:29] Michelle: Okay, well, I just like to jump into it, and I see that you have built an incredible career that bridges nursing leadership and higher education.

[02:41] So, Bonny, can you take us back to the beginning? What first inspired you to become a nurse?

[02:47] Bonny: That's a question I think, you know, we all hear at some point in our nursing career. What? Why'd you become a nurse? And so I thought about this for a while, quite honestly, and I would like to tell a little story, if I could, of how I became a nurse.

[03:02] And not just what inspired me to become a nurse, but why I've stayed in nursing and so committed to nursing education as well as leadership. And the person who inspired me, her name is Lillian Weiser.

[03:16] She was my aunt,

[03:18] though I never had the chance to meet her. Lily died from polio in 1955 when she was just 12 years old.

[03:25] And that was certainly more than two decades before I was born. Michelle. Not gonna age myself, but certainly wasn't born then.

[03:34] But her story has shaped my nursing career. And at age 10, Lily came home from school in Great Bend, Kansas, a very, very tiny little town with flu like symptoms.

[03:46] And then within hours, she was completely paralyzed and unable to breathe on her own.

[03:51] She was diagnosed with polio and then transferred to Hutchinson, Kansas, which was the nearest hospital that actually had an iron lung and the specialized nursing care that it took to operate that machine.

[04:07] So this was about 125 mile round trip from her home hometown,

[04:13] so certainly not close. And then for two years, my grandfather slept in her hospital every Wednesday night and brought, you know, the five kids, my mom being one of them, to visit her every Saturday.

[04:25] And my mother said, you know, when she was visiting Lillian that she never complained. She always just smiled.

[04:31] And the town,

[04:32] being a community center town, had rallied together,

[04:36] and the town had raised enough money to actually buy a brand new iron lung for Lily to actually come home,

[04:43] which was amazing.

[04:45] But, Michelle, here's the heartbreaking part of this story is there were no local nurses that had the Vance training to actually operate it.

[04:55] So Lily stayed in the hospital,

[04:57] the iron lung went unused,

[05:01] and it sits in a museum now in Kansas. But Lily,

[05:05] she died alone. And she died one year after the first mass polio immunization began.

[05:12] And that's really why I became a nurse. That's why I pursued every degree from LPN all the way to PhD.

[05:21] And that's why I'm so passionate about preparing nurses not just for the bedside, but for leadership, for innovation, for advocacy.

[05:31] And when I think about that story, and I think about Lily's story, as,

[05:35] you know, certainly a tragedy, but really what I take from that story is it's a call to action.

[05:41] And we need nurses with advanced degrees. We need nurses who ask why not? And we certainly need nurses who can turn heartbreak into hope for others.

[05:52] Michelle: Wow, that is an incredible story, Bonny, and as you said, both inspiring and heartbreaking.

[05:59] And I like that you said it's a call to action because it's a wonderful story in and of itself. But then if we don't do anything with that, then,

[06:13] you know, that's tragedy as well.

[06:16] So thank you for sharing.

[06:18] I absolutely love to hear the stories of how nurses got into the profession and stay in the profession.

[06:27] So thank you so much for sharing that.

[06:30] Bonny: Absolutely.

[06:30] Michelle: Is there a defining experience in you in your early career that shaped your path toward education and leadership?

[06:39] Bonny: Yeah. Definitely, Michelle. I mean, I started my nursing career as a pediatric nurse, so I started with taking care of the very.

[06:47] Michelle: Yeah, another peds nurse. Yay.

[06:50] Bonny: Taking care of really, really sick,

[06:52] sick, sick kiddos. And so I found myself not only. And, and I think this resonates with all nurses,

[06:59] but I can only speak from my experience as a Peds nurse, not only caring for the patient, but caring for the family and at the same time,

[07:07] mentoring new nurses that are coming in and watching them grow in confidence and skill.

[07:14] That lit a fire in me,

[07:16] realizing that education was a way to multiply my impact per se, to really shape the future of nursing by investing in others,

[07:27] giving the most precious thing I have,

[07:30] which is my time to someone,

[07:32] and that's investing in them.

[07:35] Plus, it, it certainly, you know,

[07:38] if you've ever helped a new nurse for her through her first code blue or his first code blue, you know, it's certainly a bonding experience like no other. And that's a lifelong friend at that point.

[07:49] Michelle: Yep, Absolutely. Wow.

[07:52] I just,

[07:54] I love mentorship.

[07:55] I have had so many great mentors through my career,

[07:59] and I have been a mentor to others, and I think that's one of the most important things that we can do in the profession, is to mentor others.

[08:08] So, yeah, I'm really glad that you're doing that.

[08:12] You have spent time in both clinical practice and education.

[08:17] How did your experience at the bedside,

[08:20] you know, as a pediatric nurse, shape the way that you teach and lead today?

[08:26] Bonny: Mm.

[08:27] You know, it gave me the foundational knowledge and the confidence of. Here's, here's the core clinical skills I need to, to move forward. But what it also taught me, and I think equally important,

[08:40] was it taught me humility.

[08:43] It taught me empathy for others. Our patients oftentimes show up at their most vulnerable and least lovables.

[08:50] And the power of presence, our presence in that moment, whatever that is.

[08:55] And that's where theory meets humanity. And those are the lessons I carry into my classroom, into my leadership style,

[09:05] where I try to, I endeavor to lead with that empathy, to teach and mentor with a purpose,

[09:13] and to always keep, you know, certainly always keep chocolate around for those tough days that we need.

[09:20] And, you know, the best medicine sometimes is a little bit of chocolate, a warm blanket, and a good laugh.

[09:26] Michelle: Wow.

[09:28] I picture you as one of those,

[09:30] One of those nurses, one of those leaders that you walk into her office and,

[09:35] you know, she has a little candy dish.

[09:38] And my NICU manager,

[09:42] she kept always a big bowl of little chocolates on her desk for people to come in and partake of. And she hates chocolate.

[09:53] She absolutely hates it. And she said, that's why I put chocolate in there, because I know I'm not going to eat it.

[10:01] It's for everybody else, but I love that.

[10:06] What lessons, Bonny,

[10:07] from patient care do you think translate best into the classroom or into a teaching setting?

[10:18] Bonny: You know, Michelle, I think it's one of those lessons of patients teaching students, faculty, mentor, whatever the role is,

[10:27] to listen,

[10:28] to listen deeply. What are they presenting us with?

[10:33] What are they saying? What are they not saying? What are the non-verbals and to advocate fiercely, to never underestimate the human spirit.

[10:45] And that every student and faculty and patient deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion. And so those are the things I try to translate into the classroom of those are the core elements of leadership.

[10:59] Michelle: I think it's brilliant to bring those experiences that you had at the bedside into the classroom because they are so translatable. Right.

[11:12] You know, as you're teaching your patient and the families,

[11:16] you know, the emotional intelligence that you have to have to be able to read what's going on in their mind if they're getting it, not getting it.

[11:27] That translates really well when you go into a classroom and you're teaching,

[11:33] you know, nursing students.

[11:35] And I love also that you touched on,

[11:38] you know, not just what you're saying, but what you're not saying. Because there is so many things like between the lines. Right.

[11:46] That we read into.

[11:48] Yeah, I love that.

[11:50] Bonny: Absolutely.

[11:52] Michelle: How do you help students connect the dots between theory and real world nursing? Because that's always been something that nurses find so challenging, you know, the theory, and then now I'm going to put it into practice.

[12:07] Bonny: Yeah. And it doesn't matter, you know, who we are, but that's exactly right where we came back or our lived experience, that how do I apply this theory? And this theory is this up in the sky.

[12:19] And it's kind of like sometimes hammering jello to the wall. What does this mean? You know, you're giving me this brilliant theory. And so I think for me to translate that is to use storytelling.

[12:31] We tell a story and we use case studies and we use evolving case studies. So just like our patients change by the hour, if not by the minute, so should case studies.

[12:42] And they should evolve. And now we're going to move from this and we've mastered this concept and we'll move from that. And I think a large piece of health care and nursing is,

[12:52] you know, our debriefing, our reflection,

[12:56] and that reflective practice can certainly bridge that gap between theory and what I've done or what I'm seeing. And so when we reflect on an experience,

[13:06] what I did well, what are my glows and what are my grows, where are my opportunities for growth? I need to bridge that gap or learn more.

[13:16] So leading. Connecting the dots is really helping students to see how theory becomes action.

[13:24] It's an actionable item at that point, and how collaboration and multiple theories and multiple perspectives certainly saves lives.

[13:34] Michelle: I think when you break it down like that, it's just so much more easy to understand how you can bridge that gap by using all those different,

[13:46] you know, entities and kind of just bringing it all together. And debriefing is a huge part of,

[13:54] or it should be, of every,

[13:57] you know, nurse's life.

[13:59] I think we have gotten really good at that.

[14:03] Much, much better than in the days when I started in the early 80s.

[14:07] And I talk about this a lot on the podcast that, you know, we were really failing nurses with during debriefings because they were kind of punitive in nature.

[14:21] And nobody,

[14:22] yeah, nobody looked forward to a debriefing.

[14:26] Nobody ever asked, you know, how did this make you feel?

[14:31] It was all, you know,

[14:33] did you do this at this time? And those metrics, of course,

[14:38] you know, they have to be met. But I think debriefings now are encompassing more of the emotional aspect that a situation can have on a nurse. And so I'm really happy to see that.

[14:53] So I want to talk about something that you did that's really profound, and it kind of blows me away because I say,

[15:01] how do people do this?

[15:03] You founded a college of nursing,

[15:06] so you're the founding dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Columbia Southern University,

[15:11] and that's huge.

[15:14] What was it like to help build something like that from the ground up?

[15:18] Bonny: Oh, thank you, Michelle, for asking that. And that's very kind of you.

[15:23] You know, when. When you mentioned that's huge and how does someone do that? I had the same questions. How does someone do that? And this is huge, and can I do it?

[15:33] And that's where that confidence comes in. And it was exhilarating. It is exhilarating. And so In January of 2025, we launched a brand new college of Nursing Health Sciences.

[15:43] It was exhilarating. It was believing in myself, empowering others, and humbling as well.

[15:51] So building a college, it felt very much like, you know, I'm looking out at my garden right here, which is a very small garden, and I do need to pluck some weeds.

[16:00] But it's like building, it's like planting a garden. You know, you start with that vision and then you nurture it. You nurture it with the care and then you watch it bloom little by little.

[16:10] And each flower comes at different times and each plant, there's a different season for it.

[16:16] And so when we launched our College of Nursing Health Sciences, we launched with 7 new degrees.

[16:21] 7 post licensure nursing degrees are into BS,

[16:25] RN to MS, dual degrees. You get your bachelor's and master's together.

[16:29] Less times and less cost.

[16:31] And three masters in education because we need to create more nursing educators. Informatics, that's your data analytics and AI,

[16:39] and that's a master's of nursing leadership and administration for our nurses. And so launching that, believing in yourself, empowering others,

[16:49] and earning,

[16:52] you know,

[16:52] university approval from SAC CoC as well as NLN CNEA, which is our programmatic approval,

[17:01] shortly thereafter was something that was very exhilarating. And I kept thinking to myself of either this is going to be historic or just a really intense group project. So thankfully it was historic and we, and we did really well.

[17:16] But that's the team,

[17:17] that's the team effort who did that.

[17:19] Michelle: I just love that. As you know,

[17:22] when I got your bio and I was reading that,  I thought,

[17:26] wow, you know, how does somebody do that? And I think like any big thing in life, it's like,

[17:32] you know, how do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.

[17:36] Yeah, right. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

[17:41] Because it seems really overwhelming to,

[17:45] to start a whole college of nursing.

[17:47] So bravo to you.

[17:50] Bonny: Oh, thank you.

[17:53] Michelle: Was there a vision that guided you as you started kind of shaping the college and all of its programs?

[18:00] Bonny: There was. And the vision was,

[18:03] and this is back to my,

[18:06] journey. But I didn't have the opportunity to go to a traditional four year university and hence I started as an LPN, then got my RB and BSN and you know, beyond.

[18:17] And I'm grateful for that because that was my lived experience and that taught me the career ladder concept of nursing. And I didn't know what I didn't know,

[18:26] but what that did is it gave me access to nursing early on so I could be a nurse as an LPN. And so the vision I had was access,

[18:39] excellence and heart.

[18:41] So I wanted our programs to be rigorous, yet compassionate and certainly rooted in evidence, but to be able to be responsive to contemporary real world needs.

[18:52] So we built the college that honors nurses and healthcare professionals who are, you know, balancing life, family and a dream to upskill.

[19:02] And part of the vision was, you know, traditionally Michelle, you start with this curriculum and it's so beautiful. And I created this curriculum and look at all these things we're going to do.

[19:12] We didn't do that. We actually started by asking nurses, we went to the hospitals, we went to frontline workers, we went to administrators and asked them, what do you want?

[19:22] If you had your own college,

[19:25] what would be meaningful for you? Go back to school and to invest in yourself.

[19:29] And so that is the vision.

[19:31] It's something that all of us founded as nurses. And so our tagline certainly is, and it's true.

[19:37] We're a college founded by nurses for nurses and we're 100% online. And when we say online, it really is online. You can log in anytime, anywhere from any device accessible and there's no cost learning resources, so your textbooks and all of that are no cost to you.

[19:56] Affordable and real world application. We've integrated virtual digital simulation online so it's applicable. So that was the vision all along.

[20:07] Listening to others and what they want and developing those needs.

[20:11] Michelle: Well, I imagine a world where hospitals,

[20:16] you know, institutions, leadership actually went to the nurses and asked them,

[20:23] what do you want? I know that's brilliant. That's a brilliant place to start from because then the program that you build is going to be nurse centered.

[20:35] Right. It's not going to be institution centered or you know,

[20:42] academically centered.

[20:44] So I just think that's brilliant. And it looks like you have accomplished all of those things that you have set out to do.

[20:53] What have been some of the proudest moments so far?

[20:57] Bonny: Yeah, I mean founding the college was, was certainly proud. Having our first graduate this October was a proud, already just shows you how flexible we are and we accept transfer credits and, and that was a proud moment.

[21:12] But the one, one of the top ones, if not the top one, was achieving NLN CNEA, which is the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education accreditation. That's programmatic accreditation.

[21:27] And that is not easy to do. There's only three accrediting bodies for nursing programs. And when you achieve that, you have to pretty much write a dissertation to prove that you do have a quality and integrity of your nursing programs and that does meet the standards, the national standards for educational quality as well as student outcomes.

[21:50] It's not easy thing to do as certainly as schools don't have it or lose it once they do have it. So we achieved it and we achieved it shortly after launching and we achieved pre accreditation for all seven of our programs, which means that any graduate of our program graduates from accredited nursing accredited programmatic institution.

[22:16] So for the listeners, I would certainly, if you're looking for a nursing school, always check what the programmatic accreditation is and if they have it, because that ensures the good quality that you're receiving.

[22:29] Michelle: Wow. Accreditation is so important because we've all heard those horrible stories of nursing students that went to schools that weren't accredited and what happened. And yeah, very, very important.

[22:45] So how do you keep online or distance learning personal,

[22:50] Bonny and kind of meaningful for students?

[22:55] Bonny: Just like this, Michelle. I mean, this podcast of, you know, showing up, just showing up and making a point to be present when you're in that moment, being responsive, being visible 

[23:08] And being human.

[23:10] Using the technology,

[23:11] we have to connect.

[23:14] It's not replacing relationships, it's connecting us. And sometimes it's a little bit deeper connection because you can have these, you know, one on ones or podcasts or, you know, quick zoom call.

[23:25] So every discussion board, every email, every zoom call,

[23:29] I find the way to make it meaningful.

[23:32] It's a chance to build that trust. It's a chance to build that community and to leverage the technology to do that, just like we're doing today.

[23:42] Michelle: And I imagine to add to that would also be, you know, student centric, right? 

[23:49] Bonny: Absolutely. Yeah. It's all about the student.

[23:55] Michelle: Yeah, it's all about the student. And that's how it should be.

[23:58] So let's talk about your leadership and service, because you've done a lot there.

[24:03] You have served on the Missouri State Board of Nursing,

[24:07] and even as the board president.

[24:09] What did you learn from that experience about the bigger picture of nursing education?

[24:17] Bonny: Yeah, and it was a different hat to wear. It was that to be a lifelong learner,

[24:22] opportunity of always,

[24:25] always learn nursing. I learned that nursing is bigger than any one role. Nursing's bigger than any one person.

[24:32] And collectively, we have a voice. And so regulation,

[24:37] education and practice,

[24:39] all three of those pieces to nursing,

[24:43] they must work together to protect the public and to elevate our profession.

[24:48] And as board president, I saw firsthand how policy does shape lives and how important it is to have nurses at the table,

[24:58] at the seat of every table, where decisions are being made about healthcare and about nursing.

[25:03] We need to be there, and we are the experts on the policy of it.

[25:09] Michelle: Well, I'll tell you what. When I did talk to a health policy expert, John Silver, a couple years ago now,

[25:18] and, you know, as I told him 

[25:21] When nurses start hearing about health policy,

[25:26] I think, you know, their eyes start glazing over.

[25:30] But when you really delve into.

[25:35] Really affects every single thing that we do.

[25:39] And I think more nurses would be more interested,

[25:44] more invested in health policy, regulation, things like that,

[25:49] if they really understood how much it affects their life as a nurse.

[25:55] Do you find that to be true?

[25:58] Bonny: Oh, absolutely, Absolutely. And I think that's where the opportunity lies in education.

[26:04] As you know, we're developing programs and we've certainly integrated having a class and talking about policy, regulation,

[26:13] what our role is, what does that mean? And not to be scared of that term. Kind of like nursing research. Don't be scared of it.

[26:20] Understanding the role you play. And you are the one that needs to be shaping the policy because we're the ones living it.

[26:26] Michelle: Yeah, absolutely. How do you think educators and regulators and healthcare organizations can really work together to support the nursing workforce? Because I think sometimes nurses, the boots on the ground, there's this big disconnect between those entities and they might think that they're not being supported.

[26:53] So how can that, how can that work?

[26:57] Bonny: Yeah, and you're exactly right. That comes back to the listening,

[27:01] listening to each other, aligning around shared goals.

[27:05] What are all of our goals? And it's to protect the public, it's to protect the patient, it's to care for others.

[27:13] That's the alignment we can have around shared goals. That's the access to care,

[27:19] that's the equality to care. That's the excellence that we provide as regulators to make sure that, you know, the nurse is safe to practice. And they do have to pass the NCLEX to be qualified.

[27:30] And there is a minimum standard,

[27:32] but patient outcomes are better when the nurse is qualified.

[27:36] And remembering that nurses, you know, we're the duct tape of healthcare. So we really hold everything together. And so collaboration is the key to keeping that duct tape strong.

[27:47] Michelle: I love that analogy. Nurses are the duct tape.

[27:50] We keep everything together.

[27:53] That's great. I could see a pictorial of that.

[27:58] So I want to talk about some of the things that you've done and been recognized for.

[28:03] You have been recognized with several awards, including the International Quality Research Award.

[28:09] What drives your curiosity and passion for research, Bonny?

[28:14] Bonny: Questions. I've always been driven by questions.

[28:17] And, you know, my dissertation explored the predictors of NCLEX RN success. Well,

[28:23] are there predictors, you know, for folks to be successful on the NCLEX the first time?

[28:28] And that curiosity never left me. And so reach research,

[28:34] I feel, in my experience, is how we honor our profession's complexity. It's a very complex profession. And that research is how we push it forward,

[28:43] how we evolve.

[28:44] Plus, it certainly gives us the data to back up what we already knew from experience,

[28:49] like why we wash our hands between patients. That's the theory, you know, goes back to Florence Nightingale. She was able to demonstrate in the war that washing her hands between patients,

[28:58] the patients lived, they had better outcomes. And so really, that's research.

[29:04] It doesn't have to be complex. It could be something that you're seeing on your floor or in your facility.

[29:11] Michelle: I love that. 've had my brother on here many times. My brother is a doctorally prepared nurse at our local institution and he's the director of research.

[29:23] And we talk about research a lot.

[29:26] And that's another area that I think many nurses, their eyes kind of glaze over.

[29:32] But again,

[29:33] once you understand why we do research and how it,

[29:41] you know, affects again, everything that we do, how it drives care,

[29:47] you know, as you said, it started way back with Florence Nightingale.

[29:52] And, you know, it's still going today and we still need it. It's still necessary because things in healthcare are changing constantly.

[30:02] And I love what Chris always says is nurses can be engaged in research,

[30:10] like every day in their daily job.

[30:14] Nurses are doing research every day just by things that they're doing.

[30:20] And so I think it's really exciting,

[30:26] and I just think that nurses could embrace it and really grow.

[30:33] What areas of research are most exciting to you right now?

[30:38] Bonny: Yeah, shout out to Chris, nurse, researcher. Appreciate that. Nursing education, you know, really looking at interprofessional collaboration.

[30:47] And we don't live in silos. And if we do, we should, you know, tear down those silos. We have to work together, we have to work across disciplines and the integration of informatics and what that looks like as well as, you know, AI.

[31:01] So those are the areas that I'm interested in. And I earned a graduate degree, being that lifelong learner, earned a graduate degree in healthcare informatics because I believe technology is reshaping.

[31:13] It's reshaping not only how we're delivering care, but it's reshaping how we teach.

[31:19] And that's the AI piece. So that, that is something I'd like to continue to research.

[31:24] Michelle: AI and informatics,

[31:27] such an exciting field. And again, you know, Chris says that he's an evangelist for AI.

[31:34] You know,

[31:36] that's how he describes himself.

[31:39] One of his jobs is working with the residents. We have five residency programs at our local hospital,

[31:46] and he works with them on research projects. And,

[31:50] you know, he's using AI increasingly more and more with better and better results.

[32:00] it's just such an exciting field right now, and I think it's here to stay. And I think there's been a lot of bad press on it because, you know, of some nefarious things.

[32:12] But I think, like anything, you can always use things for good or not. And I think in healthcare, we could certainly use it for good.

[32:24] Bonny: Mm. Mm.

[32:25] Michelle: How do you encourage other nurse educators to get involved in research?

[32:31] Bonny: You know, I encourage folks start with what moves you,

[32:34] what have you always been curious about? What ignites you, what it doesn't have to be intimidating. And so don't start with, I'm gonna change the world. And you certainly will change the world.

[32:45] And you can change the world, but start small. What moves you? What excites you? What are you curious about?

[32:52] And it could just be a curiosity. You start with a spreadsheet or word document, and you just jot down, hey, I'm curious about, you know, these items.

[33:00] And then mentoring educators,

[33:04] you know, so to get educators involved includes mentorship and finding someone that you can talk to and ask those bold questions,

[33:14] seek collaboration, seek out others and share their findings and understanding that your voice matters.

[33:21] And, you know, like Chris said, Michelle,

[33:24] we're doing research every day, whether or not we know it.

[33:28] Michelle: Yeah, absolutely. And that's great advice.

[33:31] Okay, let's talk about mentorship and the future of nursing education.

[33:38] You're clearly passionate about mentoring the next generation of nurses.

[33:44] What do you hope your students and your colleagues take away from working with you Bonny?

[33:50] Bonny: I've been very lucky to have a mentor throughout my life, and I currently have one as well, Dr. Janelle Gibson. So paying that forward is understanding. Seek out mentors at every stage of your career.

[34:02] And so what I would hope that students and colleagues and others take away from working with me is that they're capable of. You're worthy and you're valued and you're needed.

[34:17] And so I'd want them to feel empowered.

[34:19] Empowered to lead,

[34:21] empowered to ask questions,

[34:24] and empowered to care deeply about things.

[34:27] And if I've helped someone at some point in their life believe in themselves, then I feel like I've done my job.

[34:35] Michelle: Wow. Everybody needs a mentor like you, Bonny. I just really love that. What do you think the future-ready nurse looks like?

[34:46] Bonny: Oh, yeah, that is. That's a globally aware nurse. That's understanding that the world is bigger than the walls of our hospital.

[34:55] It's a tech savvy nurse. I think, Michelle, when we first started, you talked about emotional intelligence. It's that emotional intelligence that we have.

[35:04] It's someone who can navigate complexities with grace and advocacy and innovation and that future-ready nurse.

[35:15] I would define them as both a healer and a leader.

[35:19] Someone who understands the technology and not afraid to move the dial forward. You know,

[35:26] the water's certainly warm, so, you know, jump in.

[35:30] Michelle: I love that,

[35:31] you know,

[35:32] you feel like nurses should be leaders.

[35:36] And so that was a great segue to my next question of how can we better prepare nurses,

[35:42] you know, to be not just great clinicians because we want that, but also strong leaders.

[35:50] Bonny: Yeah. And I think nurses are leaders, whether we recognize it in ourself, and that comes to the part of believing yourself or having someone see that we lead education for our patients.

[36:00] We lead the floor. We lead different ways.

[36:04] So really have model the behavior. We have to model the behavior we expect in others. So by modeling leadership, ourselves,

[36:14] creating opportunities for growth for ourselves and others requires reflection and mentorship. So it's reminding our colleagues, our nurses and ourselves at times that leadership isn't a title.

[36:29] It's a mindset.

[36:31] And it helps,

[36:33] you know, the person who knows how to fix the printer in the break room, that's influence. That's a leader, because they know something.

[36:42] And the best leaders, in my experience, are the ones who never forgot what it felt like to be a student.

[36:49] Michelle: Wow. Yes, I have.

[36:51] held that belief my entire career,

[36:56] and I have passed that on to other nurses that always remember what it felt like to be new,

[37:06] you know, to be not good at something.

[37:10] I think when you

[37:11] When you have that, when you hold that within you,

[37:15] I think everything that comes out of your mouth and everything that you do with others is.

[37:24] Is just embracing that and helping them to be okay in their skin where they are.

[37:32] And,

[37:34] yeah, I just think that's such an important part of nursing, is that modeling, as you said,

[37:40] so, so important.

[37:42] You know, we want them to do kind of what we want, to make sure we're doing the things that we want them to do as well.

[37:52] And I think that's a great attribute of a good mentor, is to be modeling that behavior. Also,

[38:00] you can't say, do as I say, not as I do. Right,

[38:04] Exactly. Exact attitude.

[38:06] Yeah.

[38:07] Okay. Well, as we close here, what advice would you share with nurse educators who are trying to adapt to, really, all the rapid changes happening in healthcare education right now?

[38:20] Bonny: And you're Right, Michelle, it is rapid changes.

[38:23] It's, you know, you turn on the news and it's like, what now? You know, the new change you embrace. Embrace change.

[38:31] Embrace it. Embrace it with curiosity, though. Ask those questions.

[38:36] Embrace it with courage. Embrace it with connection to others and the pace. Understand that the pace of innovation can feel overwhelming. And that's okay. You're not alone in that.

[38:48] But we're nurses. We're built for adaptability.

[38:51] And so when you lean in to new technologies, you rethink old methods or you stay rooted in your why,

[38:59] you can collaborate, you can ask those bold questions, and you can remember that every challenge is an opportunity to lead. What can I learn from this moment?

[39:10] And then you're not just teaching at that point. You're actually shaping the future of healthcare and education.

[39:17] So keep going.

[39:18] The profession needs your voice.

[39:21] Michelle: Phenomenal advice.

[39:23] And yeah, change is the only constant. Right.

[39:26] And change is also very hard.

[39:29] But your advice to embrace change, I think is gonna be life changing for many nurses, educators,

[39:38] leaders.

[39:39] So thank you for that.

[39:41] Bonny: Thank you.

[39:42] Michelle: Well, as I said earlier, you were recommended as a guest on this podcast by Dr. Nancy Bellucci.

[39:47] And I'm going to ask you now, is there someone you recommend as a guest on the Conversing Nurse podcast?

[39:56] Bonny: I absolutely do. I've got two names for you. Dr. Nelson Twazon,

[40:01] T U A Z O N and Dr. Parker Briggins. B R I G A N C E. And I'm happy to make those introductions via email as well.

[40:13] Two phenomenal, when we talk about phenomenal leaders at different stages in their career,

[40:19] I think you'd really,

[40:20] really enjoy meeting them. So I can make those introductions.

[40:24] Michelle: Yes, I love it. Thank you so much. Anybody that you recommend

[40:30] I'm all about it. And just like when Nancy recommended you,

[40:36] I said, let's do it. So thank you for that. I've gotten so many great guests who have been recommended by others.

[40:46] Well, where can we find you if our listeners want to reach out to you today Bonny?

[40:51] Bonny: Yeah, and I welcome any opportunities for anybody to say hi or reach out or connect in any way. You me on LinkedIn. I'm under Bonnie Kehm. 

B O N N Y K E H M.

[41:04] I'm also on Instagram, all one word @NurseBonnyKehm.

[41:09] Michelle: Awesome. Thank you.

[41:11] I will put those links in the show notes and I encourage our listeners to reach out to Bonny and find out about Columbia Southern University and all the great things that you guys are doing there.

[41:25] Bonny: Thank you.

[41:27] Michelle: Well, we have reached the last five minutes of the show, Bonny. And it's always cause for celebration. When we've done that, we've gotten all the hard stuff out of the way.

[41:38] Now we just get to have five minutes of fun.

[41:41] So are you ready to play the five minute?

[41:45] Bonny: I love it. I'm ready.

[41:49] Michelle: It's so much fun. And what I have found is the people that I talk to that are like, really high up in academia, you know, all Those doctorly prepared PhD, prepared nurses,

[42:00] they get so nervous about the five minute snippet, but just so much fun.

[42:47] Okay,

[42:49] coffee or tea? What gets you through your mornings?

[42:53] Bonny: Tea.

[42:54] Michelle: Tea. Okay. Do you have a special tea?

[42:58] Bonny: Earl Grey hot tea.

[43:01] Michelle: Okay. Love it. All right, if you weren't in nursing or education, what do you think you would be doing?

[43:11] Bonny: I would either my lifelong goal was to be an elementary school teacher or ride the horse in a circus.

[43:18] Michelle: Oh, wow. That came out of nowhere.

[43:23] Bonny: I've yet to learn how to ride a horse, so that's why I went into teaching.

[43:29] Michelle: It's never too late. Never too late, Bonny. Okay, if you could have a superpower that you used only at work, what would it be?

[43:44] Bonny: Superpower to only use at work? Invisibility. Maybe I'll make everybody wonder about that one.

[43:53] Michelle: Yeah,

[43:54] I was like, hmm, I'm already wondering.

[43:57] Okay, do you have a go-to karaoke song or is there a song that's always kind of playing in your head or you're always humming?

[44:06] Bonny: Yes. Beethoven's 8th Symphony. Love it. Masterpiece. Masterpiece.

[44:14] Michelle: Okay, if nursing had a mascot, what do you think it would be?

[44:19] Bonny: A heart.

[44:21] Michelle: Wow, I love that one. Okay,

[44:24] what is one thing your students or colleagues would be surprised to learn about you other than you wanted to be a horse rider at the circus?

[44:37] Bonny: I think they'd be surprised to learn that I'm really funny. I'm really funny. I have a wicked sense of humor.

[44:45] See, I think I'm funny. Maybe they wouldn't be surprised because they're like, you're not funny. The fact that you think you're funny is funny. So that's probably.

[44:53] Michelle: I can, I can vouch, Bonny, I've seen you be funny today. I've seen your humor, I've seen your smile.

[45:01] You have a very carefree, kind of light hearted persona. And so I can vouch for you.

[45:08] Bonny: Oh, thank you, Michelle.

[45:10] Michelle: Yes. Okay, last question. If you could teleport anywhere in the world for one day, where would you go and what would you do there?

[45:22] Bonny: I would.

[45:24] Okay, so I wouldn't, the destination wouldn't matter to me. It would be the people I was with. And I would be with my four kids and my husband anywhere.

[45:35] As long as we're together, we're having a good time. So that would be the perfect day to teleport when we're all together.

[45:42] Michelle: I love that. It gets harder and harder. Right. The older that they get to try to get everyone's schedules together and man, I just feel that in my mom heart.

[45:56] So much. Wow. That'd be perfect.

[45:59] Thank you, Bonny. Thank you for coming on and just sharing everything that you do to improve the lives of nurses,

[46:08] educators,

[46:09] leaders everywhere.

[46:12] I really appreciate meeting you and talking with you.

[46:16] Bonny: I appreciate you, Michelle. Thank you for giving us a voice and a platform to talk with.

[46:22] So really appreciate you and thanks again for having me. And thank you listeners for listening.

[46:28] Michelle: Absolutely. Well, you have a great rest of your day.

[46:32] Bonny: You too. Take care.