Delayna K. Watkins, BSN, RN, BCPA
Delayna K. Watkins, BSN, RN, BCPA, is a nurse leader, menopause wellness expert, healthcare consultant, and Amazon best-selling author. Her healthcare journey began over 34 years ago as a high school senior with a strong interest in the medical field, leading her to become one of the youngest licensed practical nurses at age 19. She began her career as an LPN and steadily advanced through progressive clinical and leadership roles, ultimately serving in director-level positions. Along the way, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and built a foundation grounded in both bedside care and systems-level healthcare leadership, often describing her trajectory as moving from the bedside to the boardroom. In 2011, Delayna founded Women’s Wellness Lounge, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women’s wellness and health equity. As Executive Director, she leads with a community-centered approach, conducting ongoing needs assessments to identify gaps in care and developing responsive programs to meet the evolving needs of women and partner organizations. Her work focuses on menopause education, hormone health, preventive care, and workplace wellness, with a strong emphasis on culturally responsive, accessible programming. She regularly collaborates with organizations to deploy existing initiatives or design new solutions, ensuring services remain relevant, impactful, and adaptable to community and institutional needs. Over the past several years, Delayna has expanded her impact through strategic partnerships and collaborative models, recognizing that shared resources strengthen collective outcomes in public health and wellness. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing to become a nurse practitioner, with an anticipated completion in 2027, a step that will allow her organization to further integrate clinical services and expand wraparound care internally. Her thought leadership has been featured nationally, and she continues to be a sought-after speaker and advocate for women’s health. At the core of her work is a commitment to empowering women with knowledge, access, and support so they can thrive in every stage of life.
• Certified in Patient Advocacy 2024
• Certified in Nurse Leadership and Delegation 2015
• Master Life Coach
• Certified Wellness Specialist
• Walden University - MS, Nursing Education
• Notre Dame of Maryland University - BS, Nursing
• CHI Nursing Sorority
• Black Nurse Collaborative
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a passion and a calling for what I do. Because I'm working in a field that I absolutely enjoy, it allows me to operate with what I have in my hands and to be creative in this work. I'm truly coming from a place of what I like to say is servant and heart leadership position, so I'm able to show up differently, maybe, than some other organizations. That passion and calling allows me to kind of show up differently because I'm working from a place of genuine care and service.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is learning how to balance and harmonize what can sometimes take over what you're doing because you're so passionate about it. It's making certain that you balance and don't burn out. It's so funny, because as a nurse, you would think that I would know that, but the advice is don't be so consumed with what you're developing or what your goals are that you don't make certain that you're tapped in and able to pull back so that you can fully show up for the work. You have to make sure you're not so consumed that you can't be present and show up properly.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be that not having all the answers is okay. Make certain that you've thought through your why, and then just continue to do the work and the research. Sometimes the answers that you don't have will come through that research. Just align yourself with the individuals that can help you with the unknown, or the things that you need more clarity on. At the essence or the core of it, it's going to be understanding the why and just getting real clear on the population and the individuals that you want to serve or do work for. It's okay to not know everything at the start as long as you're clear on your purpose.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is access to funding. It's usually what most people say as nonprofits, and it's generally the biggest hurdle for us. We're constantly wanting to do more with less. That's why partnership and collaboration in the last two years has been paramount for us. We've done a lot of work in that field of just partnering and collaborating with other organizations, because we figured if we're having that issue with funding, it's likely they may be as well, so why not pool our resources? Partnership and collaboration has become the key opportunity to address the funding challenge.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My top values and drivers are confidence and loyalty. Those are definitely my top two, for sure. Confidence and loyalty are what guide me in both my professional and personal life.