Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Horton.
Rose, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a nurse by education and passion. I work with the birthing community. I knew I wanted to be a nurse when I was eight years old because I wanted to be just like my mom. When I told her I wanted to be a nurse, she beamed with pride. I want to be just like you, I told her. I’m not a nurse, my mom replied. She wore the most pristine white uniforms, white hose (remember those) and white shoes so I was confused. I am a nurse’s aid, she went on to say. What’s the difference, I asked. It doesn’t matter, you become a nurse. As an immigrant, it was super important to her that we achieved the American dream. I had the privilege as a nurse to join my professional nursing association, the Association of Women’s Health Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) in 1999 and was voted on a board member in 2008 and subsequently became the president of the association in 2012. This is a 25,000 nurse member association. The goals and objectives is to lead in education for our nurses, advocacy and legislation, and hosting amazing conferences and events for nurses. I attribute my success and ability to dream of such opportunities to my mom and her confidence in me.
On October 28th, 2022 I was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. This is truly the highest honor a nurse can achieve. The application process is rigorous and requires the applicant to display ‘national impact of your work.’ In February 2022 I launched Antonia & Grace Motherhood Concierge, a company I created to provide wrap-around services for BIPOC-birthing people. We are 3 – 4 times more like to die from pregnancy-related causes. It is my commitment to provide support, education and advocacy for marginalized communities to mitigate morbidity and mortality. I pitched my business idea to many influencers in the birthing community. I am fortunate to know many of them across the nation. I consistently got rave reviews and folk were overall impressed with the plan and potential impact.
Unfortunately to date, no clients.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m not sure what the challenges are, maybe visibility? Racism is a real problem in healthcare. I know that Black folk love things that are created especially for them and by them. I am not sure what the fix is but I am committed to being a part of the solution.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work as a nurse executive working at Emory Decatur Hospital. I started my career as a clinical nurse in Labor & Delivery, then I worked as a Nurse Recruiter, follow by an OB flight nurse (yep, I flew in helicopters and fixed-wing jets). I was an educator for a bit and now I am in leadership.
I coined a hashtag #notonmywatch in 2017 and created an LLC so I can do some consulting and public speaking. I would love to transition to a CEO role of my own company as my next role.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I LOVE chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies. I love gardening, going for a hike or walk. I absolutely love public speaking, the larger the group, the better. Public speaking is totally my superpower. I love working with the birthing community. I like to negotiate and collaborate.
I dislike bureaucracy, people who are rigid and inflexible in their thinking. I hate racism and all of the other ‘isms’. I dislike the status quo. I am all about the disruptive change and creative solutions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.antoniaandgrace.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/antoniaandgrace
- Facebook: facebook.com/antoniaandgrace
- Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCBEjjpNkaz8gyUgAkKDmweg
