About DBD Coaching & Consulting
Elevating Leadership | Rehumanizing Healthcare

I’m Bob Dent, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, ACC, FACHE, FAAN, FAONL — a nurse, executive, and coach with more than 35 years of experience transforming leaders and organizations in healthcare.

 

From the bedside in rural hospitals to executive leadership in some of the nation’s largest academic health systems, I’ve served as a nurse, Long-Term Care Administrator, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and academic dean. Along the way, I’ve helped lead organizations to achieve ANCC Magnet® and Pathway to Excellence® designations and elevated patient experience scores from the 1st to the 90th percentile in key clinical areas.

 

But behind the titles and accolades is a deeper story — one shaped by adversity, resilience, and healing. I’ve had my mental health struggles. These experiences didn’t break me; they refined me. They shaped the empathy, insight, and authenticity I bring to every coaching session, keynote, and consulting engagement.

 

I understand the weight leaders carry — the pressure to perform, the burden of perfectionism, the silent struggles that often go unseen. That’s why I founded DBD Coaching & Consulting — to empower healthcare executives, nurse leaders, and emerging professionals to lead with clarity, compassion, and courage.

 

Through executive and health & well-being coaching, consulting for Magnet®, Pathway to Excellence®, and workplace culture transformation, and thought leadership, I help leaders and organizations navigate complexity, improve performance, and reclaim their sense of purpose.

 

Previously, as a CNO and COO, I led financial turnarounds, drove nurse-sensitive quality improvements, and fostered cultures of ownership and accountability. Today, I continue to partner with leaders and organizations to elevate leadership effectiveness, boost employee engagement, and drive sustainable results through coaching, strategic advisory roles, keynotes, publications, and workshops.

 

Whether you’re leading through change, seeking to strengthen your culture, or simply trying to find your way back to purpose — I’m here to help you lead from a place of strength, not survival.

 

Let’s connect to explore how we can elevate leadership, drive transformation, and build high-performing teams in healthcare.