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Alumni News

Leadership After Graduation

Sarah DeVincenzi, Integrative Health Studies graduate, describes how her degree led her to leadership opportunities

Sarah DeVincenzi, RN, MA February 19, 2018

Many people are interested in what Integrative Health Studies students do after graduation, and so I wanted to share my experiences.

I continue to work at Stanford Hospital as a Clinical Nurse IV in the ICU. In addition, I hold one of the chair-elect council positions in the hospital-wide shared governance council. I am also taking on more creative leadership projects at the hospital.

For one of these projects, I am helping to build out the agenda for the annual shared leadership retreat. This retreat includes big players like the CNO and COO, as well as professional development staff and directors, all the way down to staff nurses; approximately 300 people will be in attendance.

Further, I am collaborating with a psychologist from Stanford University to create a growth mindset intervention/presentation for the healthcare staff that attend the retreat.

In a separate opportunity, I am enrolled, along with the CNO of Stanford Hospital, in Jean Watson's Caritas Coach Education Program.

Outside of Stanford, I have my own LLC, "Healthy Connections Coaching," and have had great repeat business as a contractor working with Fred Finch Youth Programs. I have developed the materials for a training, "Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health,” for their staff of licensed psychologists, social workers, case managers, etc. I also lead these trainings. It's been fantastic fun and is stretching me as a business entrepreneur and public speaker.

I've joined the nonprofit Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4US) and am part of the annual conference planning committee. I was honored that Priscilla Abercrombie, the president of IM4US, asked me to rewrite the pitch for next year’s conference pamphlets and advertisements.

I've been offered a position as adjunct faculty by the International Nurse Coach Association and plan to start teaching the March 2019 cohort of the Integrative Nurse Coach Certification Program.

Lastly, I trained to lead healing circles through a branch of Commonweal. I am contemplating submitting the modified thesis I wrote in the Integrative Health Studies program to a journal (American Holistic Nurse Association or American Nurses Association) for publication.

In other words, my M.A. has not been an end in itself, but has led me to seek leadership opportunities at work, as an entrepreneur, and as a volunteer. I am excited to see where I will go next.

Sarah DeVincenzi, RN, MA

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