Gloria Brigham
Millions of patients will likely never know how much their care has been influenced by Gloria Brigham, EdD, MN, RN, CPHRM, but her dedication and leadership have changed nursing practice and patient care for every person who visits a hospital in our state. Her work educating nurses and other healthcare personnel, implementing new safety and quality protocols, and providing expert advice on legislation and its implementation have had a profound effect on the work we all do.
When she began her nursing career four decades ago, Dr. Brigham dedicated herself to her patients and the nursing profession. Over the following years, she would go on to earn her BSN from the University of Washington, her Master of Nursing degree from UW Tacoma School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, and a few years later, her Doctor of Educational Leadership, again from UW Tacoma—which recognized her with an Outstanding Alumni Award in 2020.
Dr. Brigham’s passion for education has been a constant throughout her career. After several years at the bedside, she took on the role of Staff Development Coordinator at St. Francis Hospital, and her work educating nurses and other healthcare personnel continued from there.
Dr. Brigham’s many years working in the CHI Franciscan Health system were capped by serving as the Senior Director for Risk Management and then the Northwest Division Director of Risk Management Operations. In those roles, she collaborated on the development and implementation of numerous quality, safety, and education programs.
Dr. Brigham joined WSNA as Education Director in 2018 and moved into the Director of Nursing Practice role in 2019. In her time here, she has transformed our Nursing Practice department. She is a trusted source of nursing practice expertise to our staff, members, and other organizations we work with.
Her work has been key to passing and implementing statewide laws that benefit nurses and patients, including the landmark Safe Staffing bill of 2023. She continues to play a vital role in working to see that law is implemented across the state.
Dr. Brigham’s leadership has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of nurses and millions of our patients.