Nurses Making Policy

Rebecca M. Patton, DNP, RN, CNOR, FAAN, is the inaugural Endowed Perioperative Nursing Chair, Lucy Jo Atkinson Perioperative Nursing Professor, and graduate faculty in the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University. She is the past, two-term president of the American Nurses Association (ANA; 2006–2010). At a critical time in our nation, Dr. Patton was frequently called upon to present the nation’s nurses’ perspective on healthcare and the necessary reforms. As a nurse, author, and lecturer, she has presented extensively worldwide. Dr. Patton has testified before Congress and met with major policymakers—including Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton—when she lobbied on healthcare issues affecting nurses and the public. In response to concerns raised about the ethical treatment of prisoners, she was invited by President Bush to meet with the soldiers and nurses at the Guantanamo Detainee Camp in Cuba. Dr. Patton was selected twice by the U.S. State Department to serve on the U.S. delegation at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Patton currently serves on the American Nurse Today (ANT) editorial board and has authored over 75 book chapters, editorials, and compilations that have appeared in a variety of renowned journals, including the American Journal of Nursing, Nursing Outlook, American Nurse, and Policy, Politics, and Nursing. 

Margarete L. Zalon, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, is Professor Emerita, Kent State University College of Nursing; adjunct graduate faculty at Northeast Ohio Medical University; and adjunct professor in the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Case Western Reserve University. During her tenure at Kent, she developed and served as the Director of International for the College and held several visiting professor roles at international institutions. After retiring from Kent, she served as Director of Nursing Research at a Magnet-designated hospital in Northeast Ohio. As a scientist and an educator, Dr. Ludwick transformed the standards of nursing care of older people and the gerontological preparation of nurses. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of its Aging Expert Panel. She has a sustained record of research and was recognized by the Ohio Nurses Association with a Research in Nursing Excellence Award. Her numerous publications focus on challenging and significant gerontological nursing issues such as restraint reduction, health literacy, policy, and advanced care planning. Her funding includes grants from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institute on Aging, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Palliative Care Research Center. 

Ruth Ludwick, PhD, RN-BC, APRN-CNS, FAAN, is Professor Emerita, Kent State University College of Nursing; adjunct graduate faculty at Northeast Ohio Medical University; and adjunct professor in the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at Case Western Reserve University. During her tenure at Kent, she developed and served as the Director of International for the College and held several international visiting professor roles. After retiring from Kent, she served as Director of Nursing Research at a Magnet-designated hospital in Northeast Ohio. As a scientist and an educator, Dr. Ludwick transformed the standards of nursing care of older people and the gerontological preparation of nurses. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of its Aging Expert Panel. She has a sustained record of research and was recognized by the Ohio Nurses Association with a Research in Nursing Excellence Award. Her numerous publications focus on challenging and significant gerontological nursing issues such as restraint reduction, health literacy, policy, and advance care planning. Her funding includes grants from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institute on Aging, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Palliative Care Research Center.