EDWARDSVILLE - The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing’s (SON) Valerie Griffin, DNP, assistant clinical professor and coordinator of the family nurse practitioner (FNP) program, was inducted into the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) in late June during the AANP 2017 National Conference in Philadelphia. Griffin’s induction highlights her as a visionary in her field.
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Griffin credits her sponsors for helping her reach this achievement, “I was nominated by my colleague, Mary M. Aruda, PhD, who I met through volunteer service on a content expert panel for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The highlight of this year’s conference for me was reconnecting with her. She is inspiring and encouraging to me as a professional. For her to be present and to walk me onto the stage the night of the induction, and present the Fellows medallion to me meant so much.”
“My secondary sponsor was unable to be present, but sent a text to me immediately after I left the stage,” Griffin continued. “Knowing that she was thinking about me during this special ceremony also spoke to the professionalism and support of these people who have guided me to this honor. In her place, another friend walked me to the stage. Having supportive, encouraging people surround you along your career is important to your success in reaching your goals.”
The AANP Fellow program recognition honors Griffin’s outstanding contributions to healthcare through her main focus areas of education and policy, some of which include:
- Service on the ANCC Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) content expert panel consisting of experts in the pediatric primary care role
- Industry publications highlighting the evolving role of the pediatric nurse practitioner, which directly impacts content required for nurse practitioner programs
- Service on Congressman Rodney Davis’ Women’s Advisory Board, which advises the congressman on issues affecting women and children, and assists him in advancing the needs of Illinois families
- Participation in a mission trip to Haiti to begin plans for a permanent interdisciplinary health care system that would provide ongoing care to the St. Marc community using the expertise, resources and labor of multiple medical mission teams
- Foundational leadership on a program that will allow FNP students at SIUE to have a unique and interprofesssional synthesis clinical experience in Haiti
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of more than 205,000 NPs, including more than 67,000 individual members and 200 organizations, providing a unified networking platform and advocating for their role as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered and personalized health care. The organization provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy, promoting excellence in practice, education and research, and establishing standards that best serve NP patients and other health care consumers.
The SIUE School of Nursing’s fully accredited programs are committed to creating excellence in nursing leadership through innovative teaching, evidence-based practice, quality research, patient advocacy and community service. Enrolling nearly 1,400 students in its baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders in pursuit of shaping the nursing profession and impacting the health care environment. SIUE’s undergraduate nursing programs on the Edwardsville campus and the regional campus in Carbondale help to solve the region’s shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and enhance the quality of nursing practice within all patient service venues. The School’s graduate programs prepare nurses for advanced roles in clinical practice, administration and education.
