Power and Influence: Claire Fagin, Essay Example

Claire M. Fagin, Ph.D., FAAN, RN is a renowned national leader in education and nursing profession. Hailed as a living legend by the American Academy of Nursing, Fagin has been pivotal in nursing education, hospital economics and nursing practice (Reverby, 2009). Fagin has many accolades to her credit. She is particularly honored as the first woman to hold a position in an Ivy League university as the interim president at the University of Pennsylvania (Reverby, 2009). Her goal was to strengthen the members of this community and she was instrumental in beginning open forums, small focus groups and surveys regarding free speech, race relations, and sexual harassment (Penn Nursing Science, 2010).

Fagin’s source of power came from being an independent and strong person. She was raised to a Jewish lower middle-class immigrant couple who taught her to use perseverance as her strength. She was encouraged to not allow gender to hold her back.  She was bright and talented and entered college at the young age of 16.  She stood out above others for her strength of character, melding of theory and practice, intellectualism, forthrightness, and political skills (Reverby, 2009).

Claire Fagin describes an overarching characteristic of her work is through communication about nursing in order to influence policy within the profession and politically (Fagin, 2000). During her college years she learned from her mentors the importance of receiving a baccalaureate education. This formulated the course she would take. She used networks and position as sources of power. She advanced quickly through the positions, each one allowing her to make changes and positively affect the nursing profession. She refers to herself as an activist who cannot sit back with faced with real or perceived unfairness (Fagin, 2000).

This leader most wanted to influence the nursing professionals to encourage higher education. Her mentor felt that universities and not hospital-based schools should be the avenue to earning a nursing degree. Therefore, she dedicated her life to improving the nursing profession and created the first Ph.D. nursing degree program. She overcame obstacles throughout her life beginning with her life as an immigrant and being of the Jewish religion. The fact that she was a female was also a hurdle she overcame from a very young age.

I found this leader to be admirable in her continued success and continual growth of the nursing profession educational programs. I admire her in particular for never giving up. Her family wanted her to become a physician but she decided on being a nurse. I admire her for following her own goals and aspirations and not allowing her family to influence this decision.

References

Fagin, C.M. (2000). Essays on Nursing Leadership. Springer Publishing Company, New York. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Nursing-Leadership-Claire-Fagin/dp/0826113575/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1#reader_0826113575

Penn Nursing Science. 2010. Claire M. Fagin, PhD, FAAN, RN; Professor and Dean Emeritus. Retrieved from http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/giving/Pages/Faginlegacy.aspx

Reverby, Susan M. “Claire Fagin.” Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009. Jewish Women’s Archive. October 13, 2010 <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/fagin-claire>.