UW–Madison School of Nursing Celebrates Dean’s Accomplishments and Impact
By Megan Hinners
Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN, dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, has been recognized for her ongoing contributions and professional achievements in health care with an election into the National Academies of Practice (NAP), as well as earning the Pioneering Spirit Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
“My career as a nurse clinician, scientist, administrator, and academician has focused on improving the safety and well-being of nurses and patients, and on developing the nursing workforce for the best care of all populations.” — Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN.
Dean Scott appreciates that her work has made an impact on health care in many areas. “My career as a nurse clinician, scientist, administrator, and academician has focused on improving the safety and well-being of nurses and patients, and on developing the nursing workforce for the best care of all populations,” says Scott. “I am honored that my contributions are recognized for their positive impact on nurse and patient safety, and the advancement of the nursing profession.”
In recognition of her significant and enduring contributions to professional health practice, Scott was elected as a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the NAP in March.
Dedicated to lifelong learning from, with, and among different health care professions to promote and preserve health and societal well-being, the NAP firmly believes that close collaboration and coordination across different health care professions, aligned through a common vision, can advocate for patients and model excellence in interprofessional and preventative care.
Fellowship in NAP is an honor presented to those who have excelled in their profession and are devoted to furthering leadership in practice, scholarship, and policy in support of interprofessional care. Those elected join a distinguished team of professionals focused on advancing interprofessional health care by fostering collaboration and advocating for policies in the best interest of individuals and communities.
Election into the prestigious NAP in Nursing allows for the use of the FNAP credentials, and is a lifelong appointment. Founded in 1981, NAP is a non-profit organization built to advise governmental bodies on our healthcare system. Distinguished practitioners and scholars are elected by their peers from 14 different health professions to join the only interprofessional group of health care practitioners and scholars dedicated to supporting affordable, accessible, coordinated quality health care for all.
Along with her election as a NAP Distinguished Scholar and Fellow, Dean Scott was also the recipient of the 2020 AACN’s Pioneering Spirit Award, conferred upon her in May.
The annual award recognizes significant contributions that influence acute and critical care nursing. Recipients exemplify a pioneering spirit within the area of acute and critical care nursing by addressing or resolving a significant issue on a regional or national scale. Previous recipients come not just from health care, but from the business and academia fields, as well.
One of just four recipients of the award in 2020, Dean Scott was honored in recognition of her sustained and pioneering work in studying nurse work hours, fatigue, work environment and the impact on nurses’ and patients’ safety, as well as her focus on diversity in the nursing workforce.
Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, AACN is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and has more than 200 chapters throughout the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
Appointed as the eighth dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing on July 15, 2016, Dean Scott’s program of research focuses on the impact of fatigue and sleep deprivation on both nurses and their patients. She has also developed and implemented programs focused on economically disadvantaged students, including racial and ethnic minorities. Dean Scott has led diversity efforts across academic degrees, curricula, and universities, including the implementation of holistic review for admissions, and she continues to advocate for developing nurse leaders who excel in the areas of practice, policy, research, science, and education to improve health outcomes.