MJ Henderson, MS, RN, GNP-BC
Educator
Reflecting on my career as an NP, I remember that the first strong NP who influenced my career was Dr. Jean Steel, PhD, RN, NP, who taught at Boston University where I was a graduate student. She was a formidable role model for all of us aspiring NPs in 1984. Her policy class was a great introduction to the role of NPs in shaping health care policy. When I graduated in 1986 she was at my first ANA meeting to show me the ropes of association policy.
Initially I worked in Hawaii with a very astute NP, Valisa Saunders, MN, GNP-BC, GCNS, who introduced me to politics in a small state. Together we made a great team and our policy efforts have continued to this day. Joining ACNP was pivotal in my career because ACNP was all about policy. The annual "February Summit" was a stimulating meeting of like-minded NPs who were all learning about Washington etiquette and how to negotiate with policy makers "on the Hill." Reimbursement from Medicare was a huge accomplishment for all NPs, and I remember well Margie Koehler MS, RN, GNP-BC, and her impassioned speech to get us up and moving on that issue. When I relocated to California in 1990, Suzanne Phillips PhD, MN, PNP, was the Energizer Bunny who tirelessly went to Sacramento time and time again to support NP issues and bills in an attempt to change restraining California laws for NPs.
I brought my political experience to the classroom, teaching NP students in California and Massachusetts. It has been extremely rewarding to teach new NP students who are bright, full of energy, and enthusiasm. I have strived to be a role model for students and colleagues alike to help them become motivated to support policy changes for the betterment of the profession. I have been on a crusade to not only encourage NP faculty to become politically involved but also to join NONPF in order to share ideas about creative ways to educate NPs.
My most recent challenge was the fight to prevent the startup of a new PA program at my school. This decision was in direct competition to the already scarce resources that the school of nursing held dear. Unfortunately the leadership saw no problem with this endeavor, leaving me feeling like the lone voice of reason crying in the wilderness.
As a proud past President of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA), then NCGNP, I remain one of the last board-certified gerontological nurse practitioners, a dying breed thanks to the Consensus Model. I am and always will be a fierce supporter of caring for older adults in a proactive and respectful way. "My people" are always in my heart. As I always admonished my students, "Be kind to the old people, for one day they will be you!"
Forty years of Saturday Night Live and 50 years of NPs—that is quite an accomplishment! There is much to celebrate. In the words of Wayne and Garth, "It's time to party on, party on!"
Bio: MJ Henderson is a gerontological NP who has worked in multiple clinical settings since graduating from Ryerson University in Toronto and Boston University's Graduate School of Nursing. MJ has also taught at several schools of Nursing in Canada and the US and has recently retired as assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of the adult gerontology nurse practitioner specialty at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston.
She has held elected positions on boards of directors of professional nursing organizations and sits on advisory boards for nursing publications. She has won several awards from nursing organizations and is a sought-after speaker both nationally and internationally.