Dr. Lynn Sprayberry has taught nursing at major U.S. colleges and universities.  Yet, when asked what gives her greatest pride as a Registered Nurse, she doesn’t hesitate with a response:

“Nursing at the bedside, of course!  When a nurse is beside the bed or stretcher of a patient, inevitable trials and vulnerabilities of a human life are very real.  It is there, at the patient’s side that the professional nurse reveals through words and actions, the extraordinary capacity of nursing to bring healing and restore hope.  A professional nurse is irreplaceable at the bedside.”

Considering her passion for practice, it is not surprising Dr. Sprayberry interrupts her academic career frequently to return to direct-care nursing practice.  Her most recent ‘interruption’ extended approximately seven years as a staff nurse in emergency care.  She describes her respect for colleagues with whom she practices:

“Each time I leave academia and return to practice, I am in awe of the skill level demonstrated by those who have devoted their careers to direct-care nursing.  They are masterful.”

Although Dr. Sprayberry did not realize it at the time, her first head nurse and mentor, Hilda, planted the seeds for her recently published FLOWERS® framework. Dr. Sprayberry recalls:

“I accepted my first nursing position as a staff nurse on a 25-bed medical-surgical nursing unit in a small private hospital. I had much to learn as a novice RN. Fortunately, Hilda saw potential, took me under her wing, and inspired me with her wisdom, leadership, ethics, compassion, and outstanding nursing skills. She owned the unit and her practice.”

Dr. Sprayberry earned an undergraduate nursing degree from Augustana University, Sioux Falls, SD and graduate nursing degrees from the University of Minnesota (MS) and University of Kansas (PhD). The focus of her research and writing is the influence of health care policy on nursing practice and education. Her most recent publications* appear in MEDSURG Nursing Journal.

“Direct-care nurses must be affirmed and applauded, not transformed or reinvented. Thus, I created FLOWERS® at the Bedside for that purpose.” (Sprayberry, 2017).

Dr. Sprayberry’s message is powerful, engaging, and sincere. She advocates for strong partnerships between staff nurses and nursing management/administration to bring about positive change in the work setting.