National Leadership

College of Nursing Dean Kristen Swanson has been elected to the board of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Swanson will serve a two-year term as an at-large member. 

“On behalf of AACN's member deans, faculty, and students, I am pleased to welcome these new and returning members to the Board and Nominating Committee who are working to shape the future of nursing education,” said AACN Board Chair Juliann Sebastian. “As the national voice for academic nursing, AACN is at the forefront of transforming how nurses are being educated and how patient care is being delivered. We applaud all of our Board and Committee volunteers who are committed to providing the leadership and vision needed to take AACN to new heights.” 

Representing 810 schools of nursing nationwide, AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve health care and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research and practice. 

A noted scholar, Swanson is well known for her research on pregnancy loss and the Swanson Theory of Caring, which is used internationally as a guide for research, education and practice. She has long been actively involved with AACN, having previously served on its board as well as chair of the Nominating Committee, member of the Doctoral Conference Program Committee, mentor in the New Dean Mentoring Program and a North Carolina state grassroots liaison. She currently is a member of the association’s Task Force on Defining Scholarship for Academic Nursing. 

Learn more at AACN.