AACN Recognizes Dr. Joanne Warner from the University of Portland with the Sister Bernadette Armiger Award Thursday, April 21, 2016 AACN Recognizes Dr. Joanne Warner from the University of Portland with the Sister Bernadette Armiger Award Nominations for the 2016 Armiger Award are due June 3, 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C., April 21, 2016 – The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that Dr. Joanne Warner, PhD, RN, Professor Emerita from the University of Portland School of Nursing and past member of the AACN Board of Directors, is the recipient of the association's 2015 Sister Bernadette Armiger Award. Established to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing nursing education and practice, this award was presented to Dr. Warner at AACN's Spring Annual meeting held in Washington, DC in March. As a lifelong nurse leader and educator, Dr. Joanne Warner is a true champion for advancing interprofessional collaboration and promoting excellence in academic nursing. After serving as a clinical practitioner for 14 years, she began her teaching career at Indiana University (IU). Soon after, she was appointed dean at the IU East School of Nursing and then associate dean at IU before becoming the dean of the University of Portland School of Nursing, a role she held from 2008 until her retirement in 2015. While at Portland, she introduced the first new doctoral program at the university in 38 years, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner). In addition to her unwavering commitment to furthering nursing education, Dr. Warner has a strong record of leadership and service. She has served on a number of nursing and healthcare boards, including the Oregon Center for Nursing and the Northwest Organization of Nurse Executives. Dr. Warner has contributed extensively to AACN having served on the Board of Directors from 2012-2014, as chair of the Essentials of Master's Nursing Education Task Force from 2009-2011, and as a State Grassroots Liaison for Oregon. In 2014, she was honored with the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Iowa for her work with AACN in transforming master's-level education. In 2015 she was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. About the Sister Bernadette Armiger Award During her term as the third president of AACN (1972-1974), Sister Bernadette Armiger was instrumental in expanding the association's mission and sphere of influence. Recognizing the power of collaboration, she helped form an alliance between AACN and the American Nurses Association (ANA), as well as the Interorganization Committee for Implementation of Nursing's Role in Health Care Delivery, which brought together the leadership of AACN, ANA, and the National League for Nursing. She also established AACN's connections with the Association of Academic Health Centers, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Coalition for Health Funding. To this day, AACN enjoys the benefits of the relationships formed during her term. To honor her distinguished service and recognize efforts to advance nursing education and practice, AACN established the Sr. Bernadette Armiger Award in 1982. For information on how representatives from AACN member institutions can nominate an individual for the 2016 Sister Bernadette Armiger Award, see http://www.aacnnursing.org/Membership/AACN-Awards/Sister-Bernadette-Armiger. Nominations are due by June 3, 2016. Categories: Policy & Advocacy, Press Release