NEWS : NATIONAL
Past President Honored as a Living Legend in the American Academy of Nursing
P amela F . Cipriano , PhD , RN , NEA- BC , FAAN , is the 29th President of the International Council of Nurses and a Professor at the University of Virginia ’ s School of Nursing and Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy . She is known nationally and internationally for her influence and advocacy to raise the voice , visibility , and stature of nurses to lead health care delivery , policy development , and promotion of health worldwide .
Her leadership journey began when she was elected President of the National Student Nurses Association ( 1975-76 ). Dr . Cipriano was inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing ( FAAN ) in 1991 . She earned her RN diploma from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania , BSN from American University , MSN from the University of Washington , and PhD from the University of Utah . She holds advanced nurse executive certification ( NEA-BC ) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center .
Her passion and commitment to advocacy led to her election as the 36th President of the American Nurses Association ( ANA ) where she raised the profile and recognition of nurses . Notably , during the Ebola epidemic ( 2014-2016 ), she spoke out on the protection of nurses , healthcare workers and patients , and advocated for evidence-based public health approaches to prevent transmission of the virus . She was a frequent presence in national media providing information to restore public trust .
Under her leadership , ANA ’ s influence on public policy and health grew . Significant initiatives include
ANA ’ s Grand Challenge , Healthy Nurse , Healthy Nation ™ in 2017 to improve nurses ’ health and the health of the nation , as well as policies for nurse wellbeing from safe staffing to eliminating workplace violence . She became an inaugural member of the Steering Committee for the National Academy of Medicine ’ s ( NAM ) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience , which is implementing the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being to support and sustain a healthy workforce .
Dr . Cipriano has served at every level of practice and leadership — staff nurse , clinical specialist , manager , director , chief nurse executive , chief clinical officer , chief operating officer , professor and Dean . Her many awards and honors recognize her tireless leadership and impact . She was the 2010 Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence at the National Academy of Medicine , which is funded by AAN , ANA , and the American Nurses Foundation . She served as inaugural editor-in-chief of American Nurse Today , ANA ’ s official journal , from 2006 to 2014 . She has received nursing school distinguished alumna awards and at the university level , she is the first nurse to receive the Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Utah and was named Alumna Summa Laude Dignatus by the University of Washington , their highest honor . Among her many other accolades and awards are AAN ’ s Health Care Leader , and the Daisy Foundation ’ s Lifetime Achievement Award .
Dr . Cipriano advocates for the health and well-being of the world ’ s 28 million nurses as well as global health security . She serves on the Universal Health Care 2030 ( UHC2030 ) Task Force , which has authored an action agenda for high-level political commitments at the United Nations for improving health access for all people . She has addressed the World Health Organization on workforce lessons learned from COVID-19 , and the United Nations stakeholder meeting on pandemic prevention , preparedness , and recovery .
16 NSNA IMPRINT • NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 • www . nsna . org