UofL nursing associate dean to represent Kentucky nurse practitioners

Whitney Ann Nash, Ph.D., M.S.N., A.N.P.-BC, associate dean of practice and service for the University of Louisville School of Nursing, has been elected to serve as the Kentucky representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She will begin a two-year term following the Annual Membership meeting of the AANP National Conference on June 13 in New Orleans.

“As both a clinician and academician, I have the pleasure of influencing practice initiatives at many different levels and I am excited to serve as the state representative for Kentucky. It is my goal to increase the organization’s numbers and expand our voice locally and nationally,” Nash said.

In her role, Nash will serve as a liaison for AANP members and other nurse practitioners at state and local events.

“Whitney is an excellent choice to represent nurse practitioners both regionally and nationally,” said Marcia Hern, Ed. D., C.N.S., R.N., dean of the UofL School of Nursing. “She has contributed to the profession of nursing not only through her instruction and scholarly activities at UofL, but also by developing opportunities for nurse practitioners to deliver care independently to patients in Kentucky and abroad.”

In 2005, Nash helped establish the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center, an award-winning, nurse-practitioner directed clinic providing health care for racetrack workers. She has lead the center since its opening.

Prior to her appointment as associate dean in 2014, Nash was the director of practice and international affairs at UofL and has attended more than 20 international programs and medical service trips.

Nash, a 2014-15 Duke-Johnson and Johnson Nurse Leadership Fellow, has been a member of the nursing faculty at UofL for more than 10 years and has been an adult nurse practitioner since 1997. She has numerous publications, presentations and research projects to her credit, including a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration for a project to enhance interprofessional practice between nursing and dental students. In 2011, she developed a web-based career networking site to connect UofL nursing students and alumni to career opportunities.