Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN

1. What inspired you to become a nurse?
There are many pathways that led me to this journey. When I was a child, I was ill, in and out of hospitals because of my asthma. The individuals who touched my life most were the nurses. They told me asthma would not impair me. They gave me hope and encouragement. Those were the individuals in hospitals, school and clinics that sparked my interest in nursing,

As vice president and chief nurse officer, it's a huge responsibility, but it humbles me every second. I have the best of all worlds. I can stay in touch with patients, nurses and doctors. I am connected to the community because of my research. And I stay connected to academia. I have committed my professional life to human potentiation, to giving back to others so that they may develop.

2. What are your specialties, and how did you get there?
I attended Arizona State University and was working on a variety of programs. I worked with Upward Bound, which helps students hone their math and science skills. I wanted to work in the urban and rural world. I always saw great potential for Latino Americans, Native Americans and African Americans. I grew up in a housing project, but was not limited by that experience. Rather, I saw it as a great opportunity and life lesson about overcoming challenges!

In 1970, I went to work at the Good Samaritan Hospital in the adolescent and oncology unit. I experienced death as a provider of care for the first time. I was only three months out of school. It was a life-changing moment for me. The girl was 16 years old. She had leukemia. I was working the 3 to 11 p.m. shift, and I held this young lady in my arms all night. It was then that I knew I needed to learn more about how I could help. I am passionate about humans and how they can help each other.

I went to graduate school at UCLA, where I wrote my first article. I also started a program to expand ethnic diversity in the sciences, thanks to the leadership of the assistant dean, Betty Smith Williams, who was working to increase the number of African American graduate students at UCLA.

I became the first clinical nurse specialist at Cedars of Lebanon. I began working with young women who would continually get pregnant. We designed a program that brought nurses and doctors to junior high and high schools to teach students how they could protect themselves. And it worked. In health care, you can cure problems, you can resuscitate, you can give medicine, but the real contribution is to find out what can prevent health problems from escalating in the first place.

So you see, there is a theme. Each path I have taken has contributed to the journey. It is what we can do as servant leaders. Servant leadership is about using your knowledge, skills and spirituality to help humans be the best they can be. We have to value knowledge and be on a quest for knowledge. It's like a river, turning and twisting. Always finding another way. You have to integrate that quest with an appreciation for human beings in all their diverse forms and celebration of diversity.

3. Are nurses teachers?
To various degrees a nurse enacts the role of teacher. A staff nurse in acute care is constantly teaching, but never uses the word to describe herself because it's so woven into practice. Altruism among health professionals is about teaching. It's not just showing someone, it's teaching me so I'll be able to do it myself and teach others.

4. What do you like best about working in the nursing field?
The people. I am passionate about humans and how they can help each other. Each of us has the potential to make this place better for the time that we are here. We can all leave something behind. Even on down days, I find something to affirm what I'm doing. I have had the opportunity to be of service to people.

5. What, if any, barriers have you had to overcome?
Like all African Americans, I have had to overcome barriers. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, I had to overcome the glass ceiling. But I have been fortunate. My mom once told me, "Your actions will speak for themselves. Your actions will rise above it." I was the first African American to graduate from Arizona State in 1970. Being first can be a lonely place, unless you use that opportunity to change it for others. I don't want to be just the first. I want to clear the path for others to join us on this journey.

6. Do you have a personal story you'd like to share?
Before I leave the house every day, I have a moment of reflection. I thank God for seeing another day. Leadership can take a physical and emotional toll on you. To be a good leader you need a sense of belonging, where you are in the universe, what your purpose is. You need a good sense of self. I also like fishing. Fishing because you are one with the water and one with nature. I just love it. It allows you time to reflect.

7. What are your most proud accomplishments?
That I have been able to use my skills and commitment to achieve goals of human potentiation.

8. What are your plans for the future?
I was in the thespians club in junior high and high school. Someday, I'd like to go back as a producer. In 10 years, I see myself still at Cedars-Sinai (been here for 31 years). I would like to be part of the effort to change health care so it's more service. I would like to promote more mentors -- expand the circle. I would like to perfect health policy. We have to see the value in investing in health. It's not just prescriptions and medication; we have to allow humans to potentiate themselves.

9. What words of wisdom do you have for a student just graduating?
Recognize that it's a journey, not a trip. There will be pitfalls along the journey. Each time you step into a pothole or encounter a roadblock, realize that it's part of the journey. You have to appreciate it. There is learning everywhere. Failure can be a good thing because you learn so much about what not to do. It's not about the end point. It's about the journey and the people you encounter along the way.

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