Nurse Devon Berry on Smoothies, Exercise, and Lifestyle

Oregon Health and Sciences University’s former Executive Associate Dean of Nursing, Devon Berry, RN, PhD is an individual that holds to the belief that a nursing leader should lead by example in the area of health promotion by leading a healthy lifestyle. In his 10 plus years of leadership in nursing at various academic centers of higher education, Dr. Berry has committed to leading a healthy lifestyle. As part of a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Berry commits to exercising at least 3 times a week and eating a mainly plant-based diet, although exceptions are made for an occasional cut of grass-fed beef or a perfectly grilled pork-chop. 

At least once a year, nursing leader Dr. Devon Berry, at the coercion of his wife, engages in a week of plant-based green smoothies for breakfast and lunch. There is no limit of what kind of fruits and veggies can go into a green smoothie states nurse Devon Berry. Kale, chard and spinach of course make up the green part, but vegetables such as beets and frozen cauliflower pearls also debut in these drinkable “meals.”

While not suggesting that every nurse drink a kale and cauliflower smoothie, Dr. Devon Berry does believe that nurses play key roles in the ability to guide and influence general health. As academic deans, associate deans and faculty, Dr. Berry believes that the example of caring for one’s own health provides salient modeling in the training of future nurses and nursing leaders. Nurses caring for the health of their own bodies, will be better able to handle the challenges to stamina, critical thinking, and ever-changing environments of caring for others in the public arena.

Devon Berry, Nurse Leader, On Writing for Speaking

Devon Berry, RN, PhD is the prior Executive Associate Dean at Oregon Health and Science University. Over the past decade, Dr. Berry has served in multiple nursing leadership positions in academic settings. Across all of these positions, nursing leader Dr. Berry has come to appreciate the importance of the relationship between strong writing skills and strong speaking skills. He has noted that many leaders shy away from carefully manuscripting important speaking engagements.

Devon Berry, academic leader and nursing faculty, believes that the level of scrutiny under which leadership often functions demands that the leader practice a careful stewardship of words. He states that this stewardship can play itself out in one of several ways. First, Dr. Berry identifies those speaking opportunities which are more spontaneous leaving little time for preparation. Often, three to four minutes of uninterrupted reflection can result in sufficient notes for an introduction, three main points, and a conclusion. Nursing leader Devon Berry believes that a little preparation is often far better than no preparation especially if the individual is not a naturally gifted speaker. Furthermore, Berry states, leaders often say things they later wish they had not when working without notes.

Serving in executive roles, says Dr. Berry, deans, associate deans, and other nursing leaders will often have the opportunity to accept formal speaking engagements. For such engagements, much can be gained from fully manuscripting a talk before it is given. Devon Berry, nursing leader and prior associate dean, reflects that the point of manuscripting is not so that the speaker can blandly read through pages of content. Rather, he states, manuscripting ensures that the speaker has carefully thought through all of their ideas and formed a coherent and logical progression for their comments. Nursing leader Devon Berry believes that this level of preparation when fused with careful attention to audience interest and expressive delivery can make all the difference between a strong or weak presentation.

Devon Berry, Nurse Leader, on Organizational Culture

Nursing leader Devon Berry has served in Executive Dean, Executive Director, Director and Senior Consulting roles in various academic settings over the past 10 years. As an administrator, Dr. Berry is continually considering the impact of culture on the success of an organization and on the satisfaction of the people he serves. It just so happens that he is a member of a family that enjoys making its own kombucha. Between organizational culture and kombucha, nursing leader Devon Berry sees many parallels.

Devon Berry believes that when making kombucha, it is important to have the key ingredients in place. Tea, a source of sugar, and, of course, your scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Dr. Berry states, “Each one of these elements uniquely contributes to the flavor and fizz of good kombucha.” As an organizational leader and prior executive associate Dean, nurse Devon Berry shares that creating an organizational culture also requires key ingredients. Among these ingredients are organizational structure, mission, and the attitudes and behaviors of the people that make up the organization. Berry says that when these ingredients are put together, they create a unique culture that distinguishes one organization from another.

Leading an academic organization, shares executive nursing leader Devon Berry, is marked by an intentional and process-oriented approach to developing culture. Similar to making a great kombucha, learning the steps and patiently working through them is key. As a nurse and a leader, Devon Berry has learned that rushing through, or skipping over, steps in the culture building process, rarely yields the intended results.

Devon Berry, Nursing Leader, On Commuting

Thinking about how an individual commutes is an important consideration for academic nursing leader Devon Berry, RN, PhD. Serving most recently as the Executive Associate Dean, Devon Berry believes that the necessity of commuting creates many opportunities for personalizing this aspect of  life in a manner that reflects one's individual tastes and commitments. Berry believes that there are at least three important considerations: Environmental, economic, and health. As a nurse and leader, Dr. Berry sees each of these areas as elements that touch on both his personal and professional life.

Berry understands that there are many different views on the importance of the environment and the direction it is moving. Regardless of one’s perspective, there is the opportunity to make decisions that reflect one’s own value set. As an academic Dean and nursing leader, Devon Berry works with people frequently to help clarify and align values with actions. He believes a simple question everyone can ask is, “Does this choice align with what I want to be true about the best version of myself?” Whether bicycle, car, train, or bus, we can all reflect on our answer to this question.

Berry believes that another important consideration is economics. He encourages people to do the simple calculations that will lead them to factual comparisons about the cost of their choices. Dr. Berry states that time, which has a real value, should be taken into account in these calculations. Even if one does not select the most efficient choice, they will have the piece of mind knowing they understand the opportunity cost associated with their decision. Finally, as a nurse, Devon Berry believes that taking health into account is an especially important consideration. Berry reflects that the long-term health consequences of sitting in a car for an hour versus walking for an hour are significant. Whenever possible, he believes that the opportunity for movement should be maximized. As a leader in academic nursing, Devon Berry hopes that all nurses and all commuters will take into account these three aspects of their commute.

Nursing Leader Devon Berry Shares Thoughts on Doughnuts and Nursing

Good living requires good food. And being a good leader means you need to pay lots of attention to the quality of doughnuts that you select. Devon Berry, PhD, RN, is an academic nursing leader who served most recently as the Executive Associate Dean at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland Oregon. Berry is passionate about doughnuts and has taken great care to sample from the rich variety of doughnut shops available in Portland, Oregon. Most people associate doughnuts with policemen but Devon Berry, nursing professional, is taking it upon himself to single-handedly change that notion. He wants to see nurses become the new stereotypical consumers of doughnuts.

Berry has worked tirelessly to canvas as many doughnut shops in the city as possible. He is a fan of glazed doughnuts, chocolate coconut doughnuts, crullers, cinnamon twist doughnuts, old fashioned doughnuts, sour cream doughnuts, and apple fritters. While Berry does not mind occasionally consuming a filled doughnut, jelly or cream will do, he finds that they fill him too quickly limiting the variety he is able to take in on any one visit. Devon Berry is a prudent nurse who has served at the associate dean level and recognizes that restraint is necessary when paying attention to one’s health.

There is only one, perfect accompaniment to a doughnut - coffee. Berry states that there is no competition for the balance created between a cup of house coffee and a fresh doughnut. The complement of bitter to sweet, acidic to fatty, and slurped to chewed, is unparalleled in the world of breakfast foods. As a nurse leader, Devon Berry is committed to doing his part to bring the doughnut and nursing cultures together to create a lasting association in the mind of the public at large.

2020 - International Year of the Nurse and Midwife

An accomplished health care professional with a long history as a registered nurse, Devon Berry most recently served as executive associate nursing dean with the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Former nursing dean Devon Berry’s work at OHSU enabled the next generation of nurses to practice with proficiency and confidence.

Public support for nurses rose to new heights during the health challenges of 2020, making the World Health Organization’s declaration of 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife particularly timely. Through this declaration, the World Health Organization strives to celebrate the outstanding contributions of nurses and midwives around the world. 2020 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.

Another goal of the International Year of the Nurse initiative is to draw attention to the massive health care risks related to nursing shortages. Unless governments and industry leaders enact prompt and drastic policy changes, the World Health Organization predicts a shortfall of nine million global nurses and midwives by the end of the decade.

Devon Berry, nursing leader, on organizational leadership

The world of social media has made every person, regardless of station in life, a publisher. Devon Berry, prior associate dean of nursing, has embraced this opportunity and posts regularly on social media platforms such as Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, Medium, and his own blog site. As a professional in the world of nursing education, Devon often uses these platforms to share his thoughts on organizational life. As the previous Executive Associate Dean at the Oregon Health and Science University, Berry developed a background in operational, programmatic, and strategic leadership.

Sharing thoughts and observations on organizational leadership is a privilege for nurse Devon Berry. Berry’s short posts, videos, and longer articles are focused on nurturing success and satisfaction. Success and satisfaction, says Devon Berry, prior nursing associate dean, are two key elements needed for the people in an organization to thrive. Satisfaction is generally derived from a sense of meaning, purpose, or value in work and the workplace. Success is related to one’s ability to make progress and achieve goals. Because so much time is spent in working environments, Berry contends that being satisfied and successful at work can greatly impact quality of life.

Dr. Berry believes that if a leader wants to serve their organization well, they will focus on the satisfaction and success of the organization’s employees. If an organization is well-aligned to its mission and understands where its vision is leading it, Berry believes that successful and satisfied people will often be able to accomplish strategic objectives with very little direct oversight. Such an environment spins off many unearned benefits.