title: A Metasynthesis Exploring Nurses and Women on Governing Boards.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to present the results of a metasynthesis addressing significant issues relating to board appointments for nurses and women.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurses are rarely engaged as voting board members even though they are positioned to add value. When nurses and women are appointed to boards, their experiences reflect the struggles associated with traditional patriarchal board norms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A metasynthesis of qualitative studies was conducted. Seven studies from nursing and business literature were analyzed using the meta-ethnography methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proving worth is the central issue of nurses and women on boards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Boardroom parity for nurses and women is an important social agenda with implications for strategic decision making in healthcare and business.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: PhD Student, Jonas Scholar (Ms Sundean); Associate Dean of Research and Scholarship and Director of Nursing PhD Program (Dr McGrath), School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs; Director (Ms Sundean), Connecticut Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition, Meriden; Director of Nursing Research (Dr McGrath), Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sundean
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006075:Governing Board; D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff