Making the Business Case for Nursing: The AONL Nurse Manager Span of Accountability Index and ROI Calculator in Action

Aug. 25, 2026 at 11:00 am CT

Making the Business Case for Nursing: The AONL Nurse Manager Span of Accountability Index and ROI Calculator in Action

Nurse leaders are increasingly expected to connect workforce decisions, operational realities and financial outcomes. This webinar will highlight how AONL’s Nurse Manager Span of Accountability Index and ROI Calculator help nurse leaders assess leadership workload, evaluate investment opportunities and determine the return on investment to bolster the value of nursing in business terms. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will learn how AONL developed the tools, what each tool measures and how nurse leaders can use them individually or together to support resource planning, executive dialogue and strategic workforce decisions.

About the Presenters

Joni Watson, DNP, MBA, RN, OCN - Senior Director, Professional Practice, AONL

Joni L. Watson, DNP, MBA, RN, OCN, is a nationally recognized nurse executive, oncology leader, strategist and scholar whose work advances nursing leadership, workforce transformation, professional practice and evidence dissemination. She serves as senior director of professional practice for the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, editor of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing and holds adjunct appointments at the Duke University School of Nursing and the University of Texas at Tyler. Drawing on clinical, executive, academic, publishing and entrepreneurial experience, Dr. Watson develops innovative programs, partnerships and resources that strengthen nurse leaders, demonstrate the value and impact of nursing, and improve healthcare delivery.

Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN - President, Drenkard Healthcare Consulting, LLC

Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, serves as president of Drenkard Healthcare Consulting and acting divisional dean of the George Mason University School of Nursing, bringing extensive expertise in healthcare strategy, academic–practice partnerships, quality management, nursing leadership and workforce development. Her distinguished career includes leadership roles as associate dean at the George Washington University School of Nursing, chief nursing officer at Inova Health System and Get Well and executive director of the ANCC Magnet Recognition® Program. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Academies of Practice, Dr. Drenkard serves on the AONL Board of Directors, co-chairs its Nursing Value and Impact and Workforce Committees, chairs the Quality and Safety Committee for the Inova Alexandria Hospital Board and is an alumna of both the Wharton Nurse Executive Fellowship and the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship.

Brandy Mathews, DNP, MHA, RN, CENP, FACHE - Chief Nursing Officer, UK HealthCare, Good Samaritan Hospital and Emergency Services

Brandy Mathews, DNP, MSN, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, serves as chief nursing officer for UK HealthCare’s Good Samaritan Hospital and Emergency Services, bringing nearly 30 years of nursing experience and two decades of progressive leadership, including prior oversight of enterprise capacity management, patient throughput and resource coordination. She earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, as well as a Master of Health Administration from the University of Kentucky Gatton School and her research focuses on improving care for hospitalized patients with mental health and behavioral health needs through greater clinician competency, self-efficacy and supportive attitudes. She is a nationally certified nurse executive and active member and Fellow of both AONL and ACHE. She is active within the Kentucky Organization of Nurse Leaders, where she serves as immediate past president and she also mentors emerging women leaders through the Epsilon Omega chapter of Kappa Delta.