In the 25 years since the first Student Nurse Political Action Day (SNPAD), the event, now hosted by ANA-Illinois, has grown to become an important part of student nursing education in Illinois.   SNPAD Develops Nurses as Advocates It may surprise some that a conference with a political action focus is a regular part of…

Lisa Anderson-Shaw, DrPH, MA, MSN, ANP-BC, HEC-C, is a certified clinical healthcare ethics consultant, Assistant Professor at Loyola University, and Chief Editor of The Nursing Voice, to name a few of the many hats she wears. She retired from her clinical and leadership roles with the University of Illinois Medical Center in 2019 after 31…

On January 16, 2023, registration opened for the 2023 Student Nurse Political Action Day (SNPAD) hosted by ANA-Illinois. The one-day conference will be held on April 18, 2023, in Springfield, Illinois. “ANA-Illinois works to elevate and advance nursing in the state of Illinois. We understand that nurses working together are a powerful force for change,…

Registration is now open for the 2023 Nurses Day at the Capitol. Nurses from across Illinois will meet in Springfield, Illinois, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to learn about nursing issues and identify opportunities to influence healthcare policy. The advocacy-focused event is hosted by the Illinois Nurses Grassroots Coalition, founded in 2015 by ANA-Illinois and…

Dr. Friese is Assistant Professor at Rush University. “I teach nurses in Rush’s Doctor of Nursing Program and the generalist intro master’s program.” “My major areas are LGBTQIA+, veterans with disabilities—that includes veterans who might identify with the transgender population,” says Tanya “Doc” Friese, DNP, RN, CNL USN (Ret.). Along with courses in the College…

Becoming a pediatric nurse is no easy task! It takes a lot of dedication and mastery of a breadth of skillsets. Not only do you have to graduate with a degree, but you also then have to pass a national examination in order to be officially designated. If you are reading this, you probably know…

On Friday, November 4, 2022, Dr. Susan Y. Swart, EdD, MS, RN, CAE, was awarded the 2022 Joan L. Shaver Outstanding Illinois Nurse Leader Award. Dr. Swart, Executive Director of ANA-Illinois, received the award at the 25th Annual Power of Nursing Leadership event hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Nursing at the Hilton…

“I’ve had a couple of different careers before this” says Natalie Loops, MSN, RN, CNL. She is now a clinical instructor at Rush University, but she took a path less traveled to get there. After graduating with a degree in biology from the University of Illinois-Chicago, Natalie knew she wanted a career in healthcare, but…

Nursing is more than just a career—it’s a life of service to others. Nurses across Illinois—and across the country—are joining nurse honor guards to commemorate nurses’ service at funerals and memorial services. Pam Brown, Ph.D., RN, ANA-Illinois member, attended a service with an honor guard and was impressed by the service. “I thought it was…

Recently, we caught up with ANA-Illinois member Dr. Roxanne Spurlark, DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-C. She is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with over 30 years in healthcare at multiple levels. Her doctorate is in healthcare systems leadership from Chamberlain University. She is also a nurse scientist whose research resounds in the voice of advocacy amongst 100 nurses…