Finding the courage to lead: the Oregon experience

A severe nursing shortage has the profession in crisis. The national picture is paralleled in Oregon. The Oregon Nursing Leadership Council (ONLC), through intense dialogue, developed a comprehensive statewide plan to resolve the shortage. From the perspective of group relations and leadership theories, this article describes the issues and events that contributed to the remarkable journey that culminated in this plan. Motivated by our concern for the public welfare and the survival of our profession, individual ONLC members surrendered their own narrow organizational goals to achieve a more effective collective outcome.