Rachel Start is a Magnet Program Director and shared governance advocate who has served as president of the Professional Nursing Staff at Rush University Medical Center.

Rachel serves as Magnet Program Director at first-time applicant Rush Oak Park Hospital. Previously, she served as president of the Professional Nursing Staff at Rush University Medical Center during 2009-2010. Throughout her career, she has presented on the topics of shared governance, structural empowerment, professional practice models, structural empowerment in ambulatory nursing practice, staffing by acuity as related to legislation, innovative models of care, the role of the Clinical Nurse Leader, the teacher-practitioner model, and adopting healthy work environment principles.

In addition, Rachel maintains active membership in IONL, the Illinois Health Action Coalition, the AAACN and an accompanying taskforce working to develop nurse sensitive indicators in the ambulatory setting, Gamma Phi Sigma Theta Tau Chapter Board, and AMSN. She also runs her institution’s new nurse residency program and several other key strategic initiatives within the Rush System for Health.