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American Nurses Association

The official site of the American Nurses Association - http://joinana.org Championing nurses, pioneering healthcare innovation, and igniting change.

That is The Power of Nurses™

For career opportunities at American Nurses Enterprise, please visit https://bit.ly/3R0QP14

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08/28/2026

Longtime collaborators Dana Burns, DNP, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, CCMS, FNAP, and Evan M. Sisson, PharmD, MSHA, BCACP, CDCES, FADCES, recipients of the 2024 Collaborative Care Grant for Nurses and Pharmacists, offered in partnership between the American Nurses Foundation and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists® Foundation, took an innovative idea that has grown into a life-changing program helping kidney transplant candidates achieve better health, access transplantation, and build lasting confidence in their ability to care for themselves.

Obesity and diabetes meant people with chronic kidney disease could not qualify for the transplant list due to weight-related eligibility requirements. Rather than focus solely on treatment after problems emerged, Dana and Evan looked upstream and developed an interprofessional program aimed at helping patients improve their health before transplantation.

The results have been extraordinary. Of 38 participants, 18 became eligible for kidney transplant and nine have already received transplants. Participants have sustained lifestyle changes that continue long after the program ends.

That insight ultimately led to the creation of the Culinary Medicine program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Building on the original intervention, Dana and Evan introduced hands-on classes on how to prepare flavorful, healthy meals while creating a sense of belonging.

One participant, a former cook who was initially skeptical, began attending the classes after Dana invited him to share his expertise. After learning to use healthier cooking techniques, he returned with an open mind.

For Dana, those successes stem from something deeper than weight loss or transplant eligibility.

“When we build community and help you tap into those skills and knowledge that you can do that will help unlock the health that still is inside you, positive things can change,” she says.

Dana and Evan's work demonstrates what is possible when people-centered innovation comes together to unlock healthier futures for those waiting for a second chance at life.

How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.

08/28/2026

WIN IT ALL! 🎁

Enter the ANA 130th Anniversary September Giveaway and you could win:

🏨 Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (2 nights)
🍳 Breakfast for two (2)
✈️ 25,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points

⏰ Enter by September 1 or 💛 Tag a nurse who deserves a getaway!

👉 ENTER DRAWING: https://ow.ly/6B6K50ZGEnp

08/28/2026

Get expert-led test prep with the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) virtual review workshops with real case studies, practice questions, and proven exam strategies to help you walk in ready.

Sept 10–11 (NE-BC®) | Sept 17–18 (NEA-BC®)

Your exam success starts here. Register Now.

NE-BC® here: https://ow.ly/6kUV50ZGnXC
NEA-BC® here: https://ow.ly/1mLr50ZGnXE

08/28/2026

Nurse Innovation Driving Value-Based Care

What happens when a nurse sees a gap in healthcare and decides to redesign the system?

For Jenni Gudapati, a deeply personal experience with poor care coordination became the catalyst for a career focused on transforming healthcare delivery. Today, as founder of Healthy Insights, she’s bringing together nursing expertise, technology, business, and policy to help advance value-based care.

Her message to nurses? Your clinical experience can influence healthcare far beyond the bedside.

Read how one nurse innovator is helping reimagine what patient-first care can look like: https://ow.ly/t8V750ZGnVx

08/28/2026

Long before Brandi Gustafik became a nurse, she was a teenager trying to figure out what came next.

College felt out of reach. Her family couldn't afford it, and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do anyway. Around that same time, Brandi was watching her young cousin Ashley go through leukemia treatment, which included bone marrow transplants and long stretches in hospitals. She found herself drawn to the science of her cousin's treatment. A thought started to take shape: maybe she could do something in healthcare.

Her first step was humble but meaningful. Brandi worked in a nursing home as a housekeeper and server, building relationships with residents who became, as she puts it, "adopted grandparents." Later, she took a housekeeping job at a hospital so she could get her foot in the door and see if healthcare was really where she belonged.

Then life changed fast. At 18, Brandi found out she was pregnant. She had already been accepted into nursing school at a Catholic university, but after learning about the pregnancy, the school told her she would need to go elsewhere. So she adjusted. She enrolled in a medical assistant program, kept going to class while pregnant, gave birth to her daughter and even returned after delivery to take a final.

But her daughter's birth became the moment that truly pushed Brandi toward nursing.

During an emergency C-section, Brandi says she was scared, in pain, and not being heard. She asked questions about what was happening on the monitors and in her own body, but the nurses were dismissive. Afterward, when she asked for help breastfeeding her baby, she felt judged instead of supported. Looking back now, with the knowledge she has as a nurse, the experience hurts even more. "I'm outspoken; I ask questions. If they treated me that way," she remembers thinking, "how were they treating other people like me?"

That question became fuel. Brandi finished medical assistant training, worked in immediate care, then jumped at the chance to join one of Rasmussen University's first nursing classes. She earned her associate degree in nursing, later completed her bachelor's degree online and spent several years in labor and delivery. There, her own experience helped her connect with young moms who needed someone in their corner.

"I understand. I've been in that situation," Brandi says. "I don't judge, and it's not my job to judge. It's my job to provide the best care possible."

Today, Brandi's career looks different than she ever imagined. A self-described "data nerd," she did her nursing informatics master's degree project on HEDIS®, the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set. She's now a senior manager of government programs and clinical operations at a health benefit firm in Chicago.

She is currently working to expand her company's maternal health program by analyzing data to see where support is needed most. "Having a clinical background helps me put a story to the data and explain to my leadership team why postpartum support matters, where gaps exist, and how better benefits can change outcomes," Brandi says.

It's work that feels deeply personal. Brandi knows what it's like to be a young mom searching for answers. She knows what it's like to advocate for her children, including her 7-year-old son and her 15-year-old daughter, who now talks about becoming a pediatrician because she wants to be "a doctor that listens to people."

For Brandi, nursing has also meant showing up for people in every corner of life: welcoming babies, supporting families through loss, helping her own dad through a liver and kidney transplant, and guiding loved ones through complicated healthcare journeys. It has taught her that nurses are advocates, educators, data translators, caregivers and, sometimes, the person who becomes the bright spot in someone's hardest moment.

"There's a reason we've been the most trusted profession for so long," Brandi says. "One of the best things you can do is be that support, that listening ear, or that bright beam of light that somebody might need."

Ask Brandi where she thought she would be 20 years ago, and she will tell you: not here. But looking back, it almost feels meant to be. Her daughter's birth did more than change her life — it helped her find her calling.

How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerofNurses.org

08/26/2026

Vivienne McDaniel, DNP, MSN, RN, FADLN, FNAP, has dedicated her career to advancing health access, opening doors for nurses, and ensuring every patient has a pathway to receive compassionate care. For her extraordinary contributions, Vivienne was awarded the 2026 American Nurses Association (ANA) Mary Mahoney Award.

As a leader within the National Black Nurses Association and the Virginia Nurses Association, Vivienne has mobilized nurses to influence policy, elevate nurse voices in leadership, and advance human flourishing across healthcare. Her impact has shaped nurses, patients, and healthcare systems across Virginia and the nation.

From mentoring future nurse leaders and developing pathways for talented nurses, to leading national policy advocacy efforts and championing fairness in healthcare, Vivienne continues to help build a system where every nurse can thrive and every patient can receive care.

"Vivienne has transformed nursing from a profession that merely treats symptoms to one that heals systems. Her legacy is reflected in every nurse she has mentored, every student she has inspired, and every community that now experiences more accessible care because of her leadership," wrote one of her nominators.

Through leadership, mentorship, education, and advocacy, Vivienne has helped transform nursing into a force for systemic change.

How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.

08/26/2026

One scholarship can help open the door to a lifetime of impact. ✨

Meet Joselyn Morales, a ’25–’26 Nurse Scholar from Chamberlain University.

Through the American Nurses Foundation Scholarship Program, future nurses like Joselyn are getting support to continue their education and prepare to care, lead, and make a difference in communities across the country.

Supporting nursing students today helps build a stronger nursing workforce for tomorrow.

And there are still more future nurses waiting for their opportunity.

Help support what’s next for nursing.
🔗 https://ow.ly/uKQR50ZFGRB

The Power of Nurses®

08/25/2026

Gina Mae Dumangeng, DNP, RN, Santiago Ramirez, DNP, RN, and Parna Anbarestani, DNP, RN, traveled to Zambia as part of UT Health San Antonio's Global Health Distinction Program to provide care and share their expertise. For 15 days, they worked alongside Zambian nurses and healthcare providers in rural communities, learning just as much as they shared.

After more than a decade practicing in a technology-driven healthcare system, Parna wanted to experience a setting where providers relied more heavily on their assessment skills. Despite having fewer resources, she watched Zambian nurses use careful assessment, observation, and listening to understand what their patients needed.

“Honestly, I felt like the stuff that I learned in Zambia, I could never learn in a classroom,” Parna admitted.

Since returning home, she has worked to bring that same presence to her own patients.

Santiago was struck by the dedication of the nurses he met. One Zambian nurse he worked with walked nine miles every day to reach the clinic where they cared for patients.

“She was inspiring. Nurses go to extraordinary lengths to ensure people receive care,” Santiago said.

At St. Dominic's Mission Hospital, Gina worked with a group of women who became nurses to meet a community need. Nuns helped establish and operate the hospital after women began coming to them during medical emergencies.

The experience gave Gina a new appreciation for what nurses can accomplish when they combine their clinical knowledge and passion for their communities.

“We thought we were there to help the community,” she said. “But actually, they helped us. We brought a lot home with us.”

How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.

08/25/2026

When a family arrived at the hospital seeking care for their 91-year-old great-grandmother, they were immediately met with Maggie Hinds’, BSN, RN, CMSRN, warmth, professionalism, and extraordinary level of care. She was attentive, helpful, patient, and consistently went above and beyond for the family from the moment they arrived.

The family was especially grateful for Maggie’s remarkable bedside manner, clinical expertise, and heartfelt professionalism while caring for their great-grandmother, who had dementia. Maggie treated her with a level of grace and gentleness that felt deeply personal, speaking to her with kindness and handling her with the utmost care. She never treated her as just another patient; she treated her as someone who truly mattered.

Maggie was a calm and steady presence for the entire family. She took the time to explain each step of the care plan in a way they could understand, kept them informed, and made sure their voices were heard. Her communication was exceptional, and it was clear that she was a strong advocate for both their great-grandmother and their family.

The family was also inspired by the way Maggie mentored a new nurse, who was equally impressive. Her ability to provide excellent care while supporting and guiding another nurse demonstrated the depth of her compassion, skill, and commitment to nursing. In recognition of her extraordinary care, Maggie was honored with a DAISY Award from The DAISY Foundation.

How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.

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