As Nurses Month draws to a close, we celebrate a nurse educator who exemplifies excellence and bringing out excellence in others. Pictured above is Dr. Tina Reid, Ed.D., MSN, BSN, RN, Professor of Nursing at Salisbury University.
Dr. Reid is a co-director on the Maryland Higher Education Commission Nurse Support II grant-funded Faculty Academy and Mentorship Initiative of Maryland, a program to prepare registered nurses for new roles as clinical faculty. She is passionate about serving and collaborating with others and in the community. A few of her roles include membership on the Eastern Shore Collaborative for Interprofessional Education (ESCIPE) and Salisbury University's Health Humanities and Promise Diverse Mentoring Faculty Learning Communities.
As part of her community service, Dr. Reid is an appointed board member of Coastal Hospice, Lead of the Health Ministry at Emmanuel Wesleyan Church, Living Well Advisory Committee and former Board Member of Increasing Personal Power & Success (IPPS) Mentoring Program, INC. She is a founding member of the Lower Shore Black Professionals Alliance, a new effort to ensure Salisbury, Maryland-area nonprofits and service groups maintain leadership that ensures diversity. The Alliance works to advance community involvement through volunteerism, advocacy and outreach.
In April, Reid was selected for a four-year term on the national Fulbright Specialist Roster. Specialists, who represent a wide range of professional and academic disciplines, are competitively selected to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster based on their knowledge, skill sets, and ability to make a significant contribution to projects overseas.
She also received the Salisbury University 2021 President's Diversity Champion Award recognizing her leadership in the Promise Diversity Faculty Mentoring FLC and Mosaic Mentoring Program to attract and retain diverse faculty, staff and students. She "provides tremendous support for diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and in the community."
Dr. Tina Reid was kind enough to answer a few questions for us below.
What drew you to nursing education?
During my previous position, as a Community Health Nurse Supervisor at a local health department, I precepted Salisbury University nursing students and had several speaking engagements for the undergraduate nursing program. I enjoyed the experiences of precepting and being a guest speaker. As a guest speaker, it provided me an opportunity to share my passion and expertise about community/public health, and gave students the occasion to ask real-time questions and engage in a discussion. Both serve as a model of citizenship in action. Lastly, two of my mentors, a Director of Nursing and a physician, encouraged me to “broaden my horizons”. They mentored and coached me through my educational degrees. Upon completion of the Doctorate in Education program, my mentors shared various nursing education employment offers at local colleges. After some thoughtful consideration and prayer, I took a leap of faith. As some would say, the rest is history.
What advice do you have for educators or nurses who want to advocate for better diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplaces?
It is critical to not just talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), but do something about it.
I am reminded of a bible scripture, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). In other words, you must take action! Equally important, one must be a role model. Each person can make a difference, by bridging the gap and letting your voice be heard.
Start by recognizing your own bias, then engage in conversations with people of varied cultures and backgrounds. Be an active listener. Be willing to understand. Keep an open mind. Be respectful. Remember, it is never a complete work, it’s an ongoing process.
Thank you to Dr. Tina Reid for her efforts to address the nursing shortage in Maryland and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at Salisbury University and beyond!