Dani Bowie, DNP, RN, NE-BC, is the SVP of Workforce AI at the nation’s largest healthcare talent software and staffing company, Aya Healthcare.
In Dr. Dani Bowie's new book, "Reimagine Workforce Management with AI: A Roadmap for Healthcare Leaders," healthcare leaders are given step-by-step solutions for how to create an effective scheduling and staffing system that includes operational strategies, goals and key performance indicators. Dr. Bowie’s book chronicles her journey with artificial intelligence (AI) over the past decade full of starts, pauses, failures, restarts and successes. She shows healthcare leaders how they can use AI tools so their workforce planning, scheduling and staffing can be done with more precision than ever before.
In our latest Q&A, Dani shares how she found her professional purpose at Yale and discusses how the concept for her new book was born in her doctoral program.
Why Yale?
I chose Yale because of its innovative and comprehensive doctoral nursing program and its reputation as a world-renowned educational institution. Yale brought together fifteen of the best-and-brightest individuals from across the country for a three-year journey, and I was honored to be selected for the 2015 cohort.
What is your most enduring memory of your time at Yale?
Some of my fondest memories at Yale are the deep conversations and constant intellectual pursuit with my cohort at Mory’s. We’d hear from guest speakers or attend thought-provoking lectures, and then continue the discussion at Mory’s, where we’d delve further into topics such as innovation, philosophy, ethics, and educational approaches in healthcare.
What is the biggest lesson you learned during your time at Yale and how does that shape who you are today?
My time at Yale showed me how tenacious I am. I was in Portland, Oregon, and traveled every month from the Pacific Northwest. Since a direct flight was not an option, I flew from Portland to Newark and then took the 3-hour train ride to get to New Haven. During that time, I was also a health system executive, leading a technology project that involved rolling out state-of-the-art technology to thousands of users throughout my doctoral program. Tenacity shaped who I am today because it showed me how committed and capable I am of seeing my vision and dreams come true.
How did your time at Yale shape your identity?
It was at Yale that I defined my professional work and purpose in terms of what I would do as a nurse leader. There, I built a precise, predictive nurse scheduling model utilizing machine learning, AI, and technology. It was a cutting-edge solution at the time for the largest challenge hospitals and health systems face: managing nurse scheduling and staffing, which is also the theme of my new book.
What does belonging mean to you and how did you find a sense of belonging at Yale and after?
Belonging to me means being accepted for who you are. Yale was a safe place to share my beliefs, while also providing me with an opportunity to learn about different perspectives and viewpoints. Within my cohort, intellectual curiosity was encouraged, and as a group of 15, we formed a very close-knit class where everyone mattered.
How have you stayed engaged with the Yale community since graduating?
I built lifelong friendships at Yale. Coming from the same industry (healthcare), we connect regularly, whether it be professionally, and more so, personally. Additionally, I have connected with fellow Yalies at Alumni Association chapter events. The events are community-focused, lively, and invigorating in terms of the discussions that we have and the topics that we would address.
What advice do you wish you heard during your time at Yale?
I wish I had heard “Embrace the now.” The travel, the work, and the balance were not easy. However, I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the experiences, relationships, and knowledge gained at Yale.
What aspects of Yale do you feel like you talk about most often to people who didn’t go to school here? Why?
I often share with others that Yale is a place where ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking thrives. Yale is far more than just lectures and prerequisites. It’s a unique environment where you can surround yourself with people who encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and continually improve yourself. It pushed me to be creative and find solutions to problems. Yale provided me with freedom and acceptance by supporting my intellectual pursuit and allowing me to be my most authentic self.
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And be sure to check out all the Q&As in the series by visiting our Getting to Know You page.
