The American Academy of Nursing will officially designate six extraordinary nurse leaders as Living Legends this fall. Drs. Jane Barnsteiner, William L. Holzemer, Jeanette Ives Erickson, Norma Martinez Rogers, Joyce Newman Giger, and Franklin A. Shaffer will be honored at the Living Legends Ceremony held during the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 27-29, 2022. Through their tenacity and vision for how the nursing profession can lead system change, they have made an indelible impact on policy and public health.
“Each year, the Academy honors a select few of nursing’s most accomplished leaders as Living Legends for their exemplary efforts to improve health and health systems nationally and globally. I am delighted to celebrate these incredible titans of the profession and the countless accomplishments they have made throughout their careers,” said Kenneth R. White, PhD, RN, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN. “Recognizing their work and the continued impact their legacies have on the profession will inspire many nurses and, in particular, our Fellows to continue to follow in their footsteps.”
These remarkable luminaries have leveraged innovation, science, and leadership to take nursing to new heights and they will be honored as the 2022 Living Legends—the highest designation the Academy awards.
Jane Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, FAAN is an exceptional leader who has dedicated her career to improving the quality and safety of healthcare. Dr. Barnsteiner is Professor Emerita at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing and Editor of Translational Research and Quality Improvement for the American Journal of Nursing (AJN). She previously served as Director of Nursing for Translational Research at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and as Director of Nursing Practice and Research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is internationally recognized as a leader in quality, safety, and evidence-based practice who has worked to provide cohesion between service and academia to ensure that practice is evidence-based and that education is relevant to practice. She is known as an early thought leader in developing and implementing innovative programs to improve quality and safety, particularly through the establishment of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN).
William L. Holzemer, PhD, RN, FAAN has made profound contributions and advancements in HIV/AIDS care and research that has transformed the quality of life for individuals living with this disease. Dr. Holzemer is a Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of the School of Nursing at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He is also Professor Emeritus at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing and Distinguished Honorary Professor at St. Luke’s University, Tokyo. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Japan Journal of Nursing Science. Dr. Holzemer’s internationally-recognized work has focused on clinical care and research to improve the quality of life for people and families living with HIV/AIDS, with an aim to eliminate health disparities for patients challenged by stigma, symptom management, and medication adherence. His work has been recognized and supported by numerous institutions, including the World Health Organization and US Department of State.
Jeanette Ives Erickson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN has had an extensive career improving health outcomes, mentoring nurse leaders, and advocating for patients. Dr. Ives Erickson is currently serving as interim CEO and President of Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Chief Nurse Emerita at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and Chair of the Board of Trustees and a Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions. As Chief Nurse at MGH, she led the system’s 10 chief nursing officers in developing programs to advance the professional care environment, training programs, and advancing the role of nurse leaders on boards. Her impact and ability to create strong practice, research, and education outcomes are simultaneously expansive in scope and depth and are implemented nationally, and internationally. Notably, her efforts to establish a field hospital at the Boston Convention Center early in the COVID-19 pandemic that supported less acute as well as homeless patients demonstrates her immense dedication and leadership capacity to the advancing the public’s health.
Norma Martinez Rogers, PhD, RN, FAAN has made extraordinary contributions as a nurse leader, policymaker, and advocate for the underserved, and especially Latina populations. Dr. Martinez Rogers is Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSC San Antonio) School of Nursing. During her time at UTHSC San Antonio, where she was the first and only full tenured Latina Professor, she founded Juntos Podemos (Together We Can), a peer-to-peer mentoring program for nursing students that was funded for over 15 years to increase retention and graduation rates, especially among first-generation graduates. Additionally, Dr. Martinez Rogers co-founded a non-profit organization, Martinez Street Women’s Center, whose primary purpose is to provide support and educational services to women and female adolescents. A dedicated mentor and advocate for Latinos in nursing, she also founded the International Association of Latino Nurse Faculty, which hosts the Cultural Inclusion Institute, and currently serves as President and she previously served as President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.
Joyce Newman Giger, EdD, APRN-BC, FAAN has made a profound impact and trailblazing efforts to raise awareness of the unique health factors and outcomes impacting patients of color. Dr. Newman Giger is a pioneer in transcultural nursing and is currently a Professor at Florida International University College of Nursing. Formerly, she was President of the American University of Health Sciences; Professor and Lulu Wolf Endowed Chair, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); Professor of Graduate Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Dean, School of Nursing, Columbus State University; and Founding Dean, Bethel College. Of note, she was the first African-American nurse to be appointed as a tenured professor in the history of UCLA’s School of Nursing. Dr. Newman Giger is a prolific writer, whose numerous publications on strategies to incorporate culturally-appropriate care and model for assessing phenomena relevant to delivering that care have transformed nursing standards. Her groundbreaking, transcultural research has helped lead the way to investigate social determinants of health, promote health equity, and eliminate racism within the profession.
Franklin A. Shaffer, EdD, RN, FAAN, FFNMRCSI has made incredible global efforts to transform the nursing workforce through his leadership. Dr. Shaffer is President and Chief Executive Officer of CGFNS International, Inc. (CGFNS, formerly known as the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools), the world’s leading standards-setting and credentials evaluation organization for nursing and allied health professions. For 60 years, Dr. Shaffer has led a varied and progressive nursing career that has seamlessly interconnected clinical practice, administration, education, research and consultation, regulation, credentialing, standards and quality, and global collaboration.
His career trajectory has improved the lives and image of nurses, whether through academics or work in sectors outside of mainstream nursing, from travel nurses to migrating and foreign-educated nurses and refugees. His dedication to improving outcomes has challenged norms in the profession and his philanthropic efforts have supported numerous nursing institutions. He was recently appointed to serve on the Board of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), the leading voice for civil society within the UN system.
The Academy’s Health Policy Conference and Living Legends Ceremony, will be held on the evening of October 28, 2022 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. The Academy is thrilled to host a fully in-person Living Legends Ceremony after having to pivot to virtual and hybrid options in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This event is a special tribute to innovation, research, and leadership where colleagues, family, friends, Fellows, and sponsors can gather together in Washington, DC to celebrate the power and legacy of nursing’s impact.