Marsha Hughes-Rease delivers impactful lecture on "The Power of Choice"

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Distinguished University of Kentucky College of Nursing alum Marsha Hughes-Rease delivered an impactful lecture on "The Power of Choice" to a large crowd of nursing clinicians, faculty and students yesterday at the UK Chandler Hospital Karpf Auditorium.  

Hughes-Rease, the first African-American graduate of the College of Nursing in 1972, spoke about her experiences growing up as an "Army brat," being the first to integrate her high school and facing bigotry and explicit racism.  She also spoke about her time at the University of Kentucky and going on to serve as a nurse in the navy form more than 26 years. 

She reflected on how her experiences and some of the important leaders she met along the way have informed her work today as an executive coach and consultant.   

"I'm looking through many different lenses, and all of those lenses come from my experiences, my family of origin, my education and the intersection of those experiences make me who I am today and also influences how I perceive my reality. And I would invite you all to begin to think about how many lenses you are looking through, how they impact your reality and the choices the that you make," said Hughes-Rease. 

She went on to discuss mental complexity, implicit bias and how both can affect one's leadership methods. 

To view the complete lecture and presentation, watch the video below produced by UK Healthcare.