Brittany Holliday, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, GERO-BC
For Brittany Holliday, nursing leadership is about empowering others to create meaningful change. Throughout her career, she has championed the belief that the best ideas often come from the nurses providing care at the bedside. By fostering collaboration, advancing professional governance, and leading evidence-based initiatives, Brittany has helped create environments where nurses are encouraged to speak up, innovate, and improve patient care. As a 2026 Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 Awardee, she continues to inspire positive change through servant leadership and a commitment to nursing excellence.
Finding Her Voice in Leadership
Brittany began her nursing career after graduating from Northern Illinois University in 2011. During her first six years in long-term and skilled nursing care, she served in several roles, including staff nurse, restorative nurse, and MDS/Care Plan Coordinator. In 2017, she transitioned to Advocate Sherman Hospital, where she joined the Adult Medical Unit and soon stepped into a Patient Care Leader role.
It was there that Brittany discovered her passion for professional governance. She founded her unit’s first Unit-Based Council before expanding her leadership through the hospital’s Practice Council, eventually serving as its chair. These experiences strengthened her belief that every nurse should have a voice in decisions that shape patient care and the nursing profession.
Empowering Nurses to Shape the Future
When Advocate Sherman Hospital transitioned to Professional Governance in 2022, Brittany was elected as the organization’s first Nursing Staff President. In this pioneering role, she helped guide the implementation of Professional Governance while representing Sherman nurses on the Midwest Region Shared Governance Council.
One of Brittany’s proudest accomplishments was helping establish a Unit-Based Council in every nursing department and ambulatory site, ensuring nurses across the organization had opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their practice. She later contributed to the development of Advocate Health’s Professional Governance Playbook, helping create a framework that supports nursing collaboration and shared decision-making across the enterprise.
Transforming Ideas into Better Care
Brittany’s passion for nursing leadership extends to evidence-based practice. As a participant in Sherman’s 2025 Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship, she led an initiative focused on reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries while improving documentation compliance and individualizing patient turn frequency. The project resulted in measurable improvements for both patients and staff, reinforcing her belief that when frontline nurses are equipped with knowledge, resources, and support, they can transform healthcare.
Outside of work, Brittany enjoys spending time with her family, serving as a Girl Scout co-leader for her daughter’s troop, cheering on her children at their activities, and relaxing with a good romantasy novel alongside her book club. She remains grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and leaders who have encouraged her throughout her journey and continues to pay that support forward by helping nurses discover the power of their own voices.
The Illinois Nurses Foundation proudly recognizes Brittany Holliday as a 2026 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leader for her dedication to nursing leadership, professional governance, evidence-based practice, and empowering nurses to lead meaningful change. Through her passion for collaboration and innovation, she continues to strengthen the nursing profession and improve patient care across Illinois.
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