Uncategorized – Page 2

Devon Berry, Nurse Leader, on Leading at Home

Devon Berry, PhD, RN, is a nurse and executive leader who most recently served as the executive associate Dean at the OHSU School of Nursing. Over the course of Dr. Berry’s career, he has served as a teacher, a researcher, a leader, and a practitioner. He desires to see nursing leaders be healthy and successful and believes that the formula for effectiveness begins at home. During the pandemic, Devon Berry, nursing leader and prior associate dean, recommends exploring new family activities to make the most of the changes impacting daily life.

Cycling together as a family is a great way to learn to work together and to have fun. Three big ideas are important when taking up this activity for the first time. First, make sure that everyone has the right equipment. At a minimum, this includes a bike and a helmet. Bicycles can be expensive if purchased new. These days, many options exist for purchasing used bicycles online. If you purchase a used bike, always make sure it is safe for use. Second, teach all members of the family basic bicycle safety. A few places to start include operating the bicycle and rules for riding on trails and streets.

Third, family cycling provides many opportunities to learn to work together. Riding as a group requires respect and care for others, spatial awareness, and collaboration. Translated into family life, each of these skills or values plays an important role in healthy family relationships. Great leadership starts at home. Learning to lead and serve family members in a way that strengthens the stability and happiness of the family leads to greater success at work

Devon Berry, Nursing Leader, on Birds in the PNW

Nursing leader Devon Berry is a native of the Midwest that is now putting roots down in the Pacific Northwest. Relocating for work, he previously served as the Executive Associate Dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) after occupying leadership and faculty roles at Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and Cedarville University. As an experienced associate dean in nursing, Devon Berry has learned to slow down and enjoy small things such as birds.

The Pacific Northwest is home to a diverse number of birds. The Ranier Audubon Society is a helpful resource for learning about these birds. One of the first birds highlighted at the Society’s webpage is the House Finch. For any person who enjoys a beautiful bird song, the song of the House Finch is hard to beat. If you happen to see a male, you will also have the pleasure of noting his brightly colored head and breast feathers.

A second very common bird in the Pacific Northwest is the Downy Woodpecker. This is a bird that you will most likely hear before you see. The repetitive rat-tat-tat sounds of its beak being hammered against the trunk of a tree is a delight to those who are hearing it for the first time. Although this bird is a little harder to catch a glance of, when you do you wiill enjoy its black and white checkered wing pattern and the splash of red on its head.

A Nurse Runs a Marathon

Studying for his MBA at Western Governors’ University, Devon Berry is the outgoing Executive Associate Dean of the School of Nursing at OHSU and a PhD-prepared nurse. With a background in mental health research and practice, Berry considers self-care an important aspect of everyone’s life. One way Berry cares for himself is by running for exercise. He is currently training for the Portland Marathon.

For runners, the marathon holds a special place in the broad range of races available today. While there are almost 600 marathons held every year in the United States, according to marathontrainingschedule.com, very few Americans have actually completed these races. In fact, as few as one-half of one percent have run a marathon. Coming in at 26.2 miles, a marathon is a challenging endeavor. The largest Marathon in the U.S. is the New York City Marathon.

Most are not aware that the word “marathon” actually comes from the name of an ancient Greek town, according to livescience.com. Apparently, a soldier named Pheidippides, who ran 25 miles or so to let the Athenians know that the Persians had been defeated. Unfortunately, Pheidippides was not in great shape and actually died after delivering his message. The first marathon races were held to commemorate this soldier’s run.

Devon Berry, nursing leader, on finding beauty

Devon Berry is a nurse, a scholar, and a committed family man residing in Portland Oregon. In his career he has served in several universities including Cedarville University, University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, and most recently Devon Berry served as the Executive Associate Dean at the Oregon Health and Science University. Living in the Pacific Northwest, nurse Devon Berry has taken up nature photography as a pastime.

Over the past year, Devon has committed to posting an original photo every business day on Instagram. He often photographs flowers, trees, leaves, sunsets, sunrises, and other parts of the natural world. Year-round, most of Berry’s photographs are taken within walking distance of his home. His daily walks are part exercise, part meditation, and part photography. One of the greatest lessons Berry has learned through this ritual is how to look for beauty.

Devon Berry believes that looking for beauty requires a committed mindset. If you are not actively looking for beauty, he says, you will miss it every time. As a prior associate dean in nursing, Devon Berry has brought this discipline to his professional life. The professional world, like the natural world, is filled with beautiful moments. Instead of dew on a blade of grass or yellowing moss on a fence post, it is an act of kindness, a display of courage, or an expression of humility. Learning to see the professional world through this lens reduces stress and improves creativity. It is a practice that all can benefit from.