Dr. Martha Buckner, associate professor and chair of the undergraduate nursing department at Belmont University, has been accepted as a fellow in the Leadership for Academic Nursing program with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. About 50 leadership fellows are selected each year through a competitive application process from nurse educators in over 640 member schools nationwide.
The fellowship was designed to prepare a more diverse and younger pool of leaders for nursing programs in the United States. The year long program provides participants with a focused assessment experience, a range of content and case studies related to successful leadership, and the opportunity to establish networks with mentors and peers. It focuses on key leadership competencies needed in complex nursing education and healthcare environments.
Buckner practiced as a staff nurse after receiving her BSN from Western Kentucky University. She earned her MSN from Vanderbilt University in adult health and practiced as a clinical nurse specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a nutrition support team before becoming a nurse educator. Buckner began teaching at Belmont in 1992 as a part-time clinical instructor. In 2006, she completed a Ph.D. in educational leadership with a focus on higher education. Dr. Buckner was selected to chair the undergraduate nursing department at Belmont in 2009.