Shelly Buck-Turner, who began in health care as a certified nurse assistant in high school, has been on a constant trajectory of education, growth and advancement, even as she’s raised her children, part of the time as a single mother.

Today, Shelly serves as the VP of Patient Care/Chief Nurse Executive for Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows program announced in May that Shelly was among just 20 individuals selected nationwide for the foundation’s prestigious three-year fellowship.

“It’s a wonderful honor to be in a select and elite group of nurse executives across the country to not only learn and grow, but to impact health care on a local, regional and national level,” says Shelly.

Her professional interests include nursing leadership and disparities in care.

 “One of my passions has always been nurse leadership, particularly in the area of business development,” says Shelly, who holds a nursing degree from Helene Fuld School of Nursing, a bachelor’s of science in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Maryland.

Shelly has held certifications in critical care, neuroscience and wound care and is a member of numerous national nursing associations. “I always believed it would come to a point where nurses would be able to put a value on their contributions and what they bring to patient care,” she says. “We’re in that time now.”