Michelle DeLizio Podlesni - Nurse Innovator

Sarah Matacale, BSN, RN

Michelle DeLizio Podlesni, RN - President NNBA

Michelle DeLizio Podlesni, RN is a woman whose name has been mentioned to me as being a mentor to several of the last innovators that I have interviewed for articles. These nurse innovators and entrepreneurs come from all walks of nursing and their paths have led them to Michelle who currently is the President of the National Nurses in Business Association. It speaks volumes to her character and love of nursing entrepreneurship that she takes the time and effort to personally encourage, listen, and advise those she meets. It is a privilege to tell the story of her journey of innovation that has led her to a lead role in a national organization that gathers and celebrates nurses who "think outside the box".

Journey of Innovation

Michelle is a US Navy Veteran and Registered Nurse of over 30 years. She began to feel nurse burnout in the traditional hospital based role and started to leverage her experiences into the nontraditional settings. She took on the role of Case Manager and Life Care Planner for a major insurance company. This role evolved to specialization in Utilization Management, Healthcare Data Analysis, and then Software development. Having a successful track record in leading start-ups to multimillion-dollar enterprises gave her significant experience as an executive and a nurse business owner.

Business Coach & Author

Michelle has been coaching managers, executives, and nurses for the past 20 years by using her experience to teach others how to strategize career advancement. Her passion for mentoring and helping others succeed in business has led her to national speaking engagements and to being a trusted business advisor to many. She has written an Amazon #1 Best selling book called UNconventional Nurse -Going from Burnout to Bliss!, and she holds workshops and personal coaching to "teach nurses business skills that will accelerate, increase and maximize small business owner success!"

Nurse Entrepreneur Champion

Michelle's current position is leading the National Nurses in Business Association (NNBA). She ensures the the NNBA's "rich legacy of being the forerunner of the Nurse Entrepreneurship movement and continues to fulfill its mission: encouraging nurse entrepreneurs and nurse intrapreneurs to start, grow, and manage their own businesses, develop opportunities locally and nationally for nurses in business and serve the networking and educational needs of our members. Every day is full of one of these aspects of my work and I am truly fortunate to have this opportunity."

When asked about barriers that Michelle faces in her current position, she replied that there really are none, "only recognition that there are some issues that I need to have better resources to overcome. One of the issues that needs to be overcome in my current position relates to the traditional nursing model and academic community that doesn't recognize or appreciate the impact and influence of Nurses in Business and Nurse Entrepreneurship. Many times our members will hear 'so you are no longer a nurse' when in reality, we are nurses desiring to use the full scope of our nursing license." She explains that she is hopeful that times are starting to change as she has seen an increase in a handful of nursing colleges and universities that have some type of entrepreneurial program and business courses.

"Recognize and Nurture Your Unique Innovative Spark"

Michelle believes that mastering ourselves and our environment is the best way to recognize and nurture our unique innovative spark. She says that focus is the best advice that she would give to aspiring Nurse Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs. "We are in an age of distraction due to the proliferation of data coming at us from all angles. Everyone wants our time and most of us are electronically tethered the majority of each day. This is the #1 detriment to results". Michelle says that there are endless options to improve healthcare as we all bring different levels of knowledge, experience, and backgrounds to the table.

I asked Michelle what she believes the single most important issue that nursing professionals must address in the next 2 years. Her response was that "nurses need to have a plan B, C and more. What I mean is that economic, legislature, and technological changes are dramatically impacting the largest group of healthcare providers: nurses." In her current role as President of the NNBA, she is able to help nurses discover how critical thinking skills and diverse experiences as a nurse can translate into high demand professionals and emerging business owners.

The best way to wrap up this article about an amazing innovative thinker and doer in healthcare is to share who she cited as her role models. I believe you really can tell a lot about a person by their role models in life. In her own words, Michelle describes three ladies she admires in particular. " Florence Nightingale, Erma Bombeck, and Julia Child. At first blush, you may think they are all different but they were all late bloomers. Each had a passion that they had to express; each was very talented and gifted. Each connected with a wide audience touching millions of lives and each had a clear love of family and a delightful sense of humor!" Sounds a lot like what I have heard other nursing professionals say about Michelle! I have to meet this woman in person someday!