Belinda was employed for twenty-five years with the Missouri Nurses Association (MONA), serving as continuing education director for 10 years and then as Chief Executive Officer.
During her tenure with MONA, Belinda became well known for her ability to negotiate, lobby and articulate the concerns of the nursing profession to local, state and national leaders in nursing and to the communities and elected officials in Missouri. She consistently demonstrated her ability to withstand constructive and unconstructive criticisms of the Association’s policies, as adopted by the board of directors. Belinda was viewed by registered nurses as the “Voice of Nursing”.
Belinda managed association assets and liabilities and has sought talented individuals for employment within the association. She designed, received, and implemented grants from the American Nurses Association (ANA), developing the Economic & General Welfare (E&GW) arm of the association and was instrumental in obtaining a working, economic agreement with the Community Health Association.
Belinda was influential in the development of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services with the specific purpose to explore mechanisms for safe staffing through rulemaking and/or via statute.
Belinda spearheaded the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Special Interest Group (APRN-SIG), one of the most active groups of the Association. This group has been instrumental in seeking prescriptive privileges for advanced practice registered nurses in Missouri, executing many strategies to accomplish this goal. She groomed the Association’s lobbyists to become the spokespersons for issues affecting nursing. These lobbyists have been instrumental in continuing the effort for prescriptive privileges in Belinda’s absence. Her support of nursing practice is evidenced by position statements adopted by the board ranging from people in need to support of clinical nurse specialists. Also through her efforts, the Association is a sponsor for the Center for Patient Safety, a private group supporting initiatives related to the protection and promotion of preventative health activities for patients and the citizens of Missouri.
There are many other contributions to the nursing profession that could be highlighted to support Belinda’s induction into the Missouri Nurses Association Hall of Fame Award. Her contributions will endure the test of time.