Two Accomplished Nursing Leaders with School of Nursing Heritage Named as American Academy of Nursing Living Legends
Dr. Suzanne Feetham and Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw become distinguished Living Legends by the prestigious AAN organization for their life-long and extensive career contributions to nursing on a national scale.
During its annual conference and meeting on October 13, 2011, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) gave five nursing leaders; two of whom have strong ties to the University of Michigan School of Nursing, its highest recognition: being named as an AAN Living Legend. Both Suzanne Feetham and Ada Sue Hinshaw were among a select group of only five recipients of this year's Living Legend award. Dean Kathleen Potempa was pleased to honor both Dr. Feetham as a graduate of the U-M School of Nursing and Dr. Hinshaw as a former dean and professor at the U-M School of Nursing for their career-long accomplishments at a reception held to celebrate them and other AAN honorees for 2011 with a U-M School of Nursing relationship.
Dr. Suzanne Feetham
Suzanne Feetham is a nationally and internationally recognized leader who has affected policy change through her leadership positions in academia, health systems and the Federal government (NIH & HRSA). Her leadership and scholarship has advanced science in family research and the integration of genetics and genomics in national education, practice and policy.
Dr. Feetham was instrumental in building the science of pediatric nursing in the context of the family. Her seminal scholarship affected a change in the paradigm in family science from family-based deficits to family strengths. The Feetham Family Functioning Survey, developed in 1977, is used today in research of families across disciplines with known translations in 8 languages.
In the 1970’s, Dr. Feetham’s vision for genetics and families began. Before the mapping of the human genome, Dr. Feetham identified the significance of family response as a result of their learning genetic information. This stimulated four decades of scholarship and leadership which has included advocating for nursing education and core competencies in genetics and now genomics.
She led the American Academy of Nursing Genetic Healthcare Expert Panel in developing the visionary International Council of Nursing’s publication Nursing and Genetics – Leadership for Global Health. In 2006 she was a team recipient for the HHS Honor Award for the U.S. Surgeon General’s Family History Initiative Team, a landmark public health effort to encourage and provide mechanism for all Americans to collect and record family health information.
Her leadership and scholarship has affected sustained system change in health care. When at HRSA’s Center for Quality, Dr. Feetham co-lead a quality improvement activity across the agency to develop a standardized clinical measurement system for HRSA’s grantees. This system aligned with national measures from organizations such as the National Quality Forum (NQF).
Dr. Feetham’s interdisciplinary leadership is evident through her tenure as the first non-physician chair of professional and policy organizations including the Michigan Myelodysplasia Association, the Spina Bifida Association of America – Medical Advisory Group, and the Michigan Governor’s Commission on Crippled Children. Her leadership contributed to advancing policy to improve the care and outcomes of children with health problems and their families.
Her vision and mentorship contributed to the formation of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS), the ENRS Family Research Interest Group, and the American Academy of Nursing Genetic Healthcare Expert Panel. Her leadership has been recognized through the first ENRS Suzanne Feetham Nurse Scientist Family Research Award, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Pinnacle Award for Mentorship and a Founders Award from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics.
Dr. Feetham’s leadership and scholarship demonstrates a sustained legacy in advancing the science of research of families, the integration of the genetic and genomics in the practice of all health professionals and informing policy to advance health equity for at risk populations. Her commitment to mentoring students and professionals assures a sustained impact of these important contributions.
Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw
Best known for her contributions to nursing research and education as well as health policy, Ada Sue Hinshaw has held several leadership positions during her career. In academia, she is Dean and Professor at the Graduate School of Nursing, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (2008 to present) and Dean/Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, School of Nursing (1994-2006). Dr. Hinshaw was the first permanent Director of the National Center for Nursing Research and the first Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (1987 to 1994).
Active in health policy, she was President of the American Academy of Nursing (1991 to 2001), on the Governing Council for the Institute of Medicine (1999 to 2002), Vice-Chair of the (2002 to 2003) study panel for Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment for Nurses (2004) and served as AAN/ANF/IOM Scholar-in-Residence (2006 to 2007).
Providing initial leadership to the new nursing research entity at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Hinshaw was the first permanent director of the National Center of Nursing Research and the first Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research. She led the Institute in its support of valuable research and research training in many areas of nursing care patient outcomes.
Additionally, Dr. Hinshaw was the Director of Nursing research at the University Medical Center’s Department of Nursing; and she has held program leadership positions at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Kansas.
Throughout her career, Dr. Hinshaw has conducted nursing research focusing on quality of care, patient outcomes, measurement of such outcomes, and building positive work environments for nurses. She has given hundreds of presentations and her findings have been widely published in numerous articles and books.
Dr. Hinshaw has served on numerous scientific advisory committees and task forces, has been a visiting professor at various schools of nursing, and has been involved with many professional organizations.
Her many awards received include the Midwest Nursing Research Society Lifetime Achievement Award, the Health Leader of the Year Award from the United States Public Health Service, the Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Nursing Research from Sigma Theta Tau, and Distinguished Leader Award from the National Institute of Nursing Research, the Nurse Scientist of the Year Award from the American Nurses Association, Council of Nurse Researchers, the Walt McDermott Excellence in Service Award from the IOM, the Pioneering Spirit Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and Honorary Fellowship for Public Policy Award from the New York Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Hinshaw received a BS from the University of Kansas, an MAN from Yale University, and a PhD and MA in sociology from the University of Arizona. She is the recipient of 13 Honorary Doctoral Degrees.
