ANA-Illinois recognizes a nurse whose commitment to advocacy, innovation, and empowering others demonstrates the extraordinary influence of the nursing profession.
Aric Shimek, MSN, RN, CPN
At the 2026 Professional Issues Conference, Aric Shimek was honored with the Nurse Influencer Award, a recognition celebrating nurses whose leadership, advocacy, and contributions have made a meaningful impact on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, communities, and the profession.
The Nurse Influencer Award recognizes individuals who go beyond the expectations of their roles to advance nursing through education, advocacy, policy, innovation, and practice. Aric’s journey reflects the far-reaching influence nurses can have not only on the patients they serve but also on the systems, policies, and people shaping the future of healthcare.
From caring for critically ill children to contributing to global health initiatives and advocating for nursing’s voice at the United Nations, Aric’s career illustrates what becomes possible when nurses recognize their ability to lead meaningful change.
A Journey Rooted in Service
For Aric, receiving the Nurse Influencer Award is about much more than professional recognition. It is an opportunity to reflect on the experiences that shaped his career and the people whose lives have been touched along the way.
“Influence, to me, has never been about a title or position. It is about what changes because you were willing to contribute,” Aric shared.
His journey into nursing was profoundly influenced by the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, an experience that strengthened his belief that nursing is fundamentally about service.
What followed was a career that would take him into pediatric care, healthcare innovation, global advocacy, and international policy discussions.
“Nursing has allowed me to be a clinician, innovator, educator, advocate, and global health leader sometimes all at the same time,” he explained.
For Aric, that versatility is one of the profession’s greatest strengths. He hopes his recognition encourages other nurses to see that there is no single path to making a difference.
The Power of Influence: Investing in Other Nurses
Throughout his career, Aric has contributed to programs and initiatives designed to improve healthcare and expand nursing’s influence. Yet when asked which accomplishments mean the most to him, his answer was not a particular program, title, or professional milestone.
It was the opportunity to empower other nurses.
Through the Sigma Global Advocacy Academy, Aric has helped educate more than 350 nurses from 23 countries in advocacy, leadership, and policy engagement.
While the numbers are impressive, Aric believes the true significance lies in what those nurses accomplish afterward.
A nurse who gains the confidence to advocate for patients, influence health policy, mentor colleagues, or develop a new program can create change that extends far beyond the original learning experience.
He describes this as the multiplier effect of investing in others.
“The goal of leadership should not be to make yourself indispensable. It should be to help other people discover what they are capable of and give them the tools to carry the work further than you ever could on your own.”
This philosophy captures a central theme of Aric’s approach to leadership: lasting influence is measured not simply by what we accomplish ourselves, but by what we empower others to achieve.
Bringing Nursing’s Voice to the Global Stage
One of the defining moments of Aric’s career occurred in Geneva while attending the United Nations Human Rights Council.
During the meeting, an ambassador questioned why a nurse would be involved in discussions at that level, and why international decision makers should listen to nurses.
For Aric, the answer was clear.
Nurses understand the real-world consequences of healthcare policies because they witness them firsthand. They see what happens when families cannot access care, when systems create unnecessary barriers, and when policies fail to meet the needs of the communities, they are intended to serve.
That clinical experience, he believes, is essential to developing meaningful healthcare solutions.
His work as Sigma Theta Tau International’s Liaison to the United Nations, and his current roles as Global Advocacy Officer for SONSIEL and Assistant Director of Advocacy for the Center for Global Pediatric Health, have reinforced that conviction.
As Aric reflected on the exchange in Geneva, he shared a question that continues to guide his advocacy:
“How can we make good decisions about health if nurses aren’t here?”
It is a powerful reminder that nursing expertise belongs wherever decisions affecting health and well-being are made.
For Aric, clinical practice and policy advocacy are not separate pursuits. They are interconnected responsibilities grounded in the same commitment to improving lives.
Every Nurse Has the Power to Influence Change
Although Aric’s career has taken him into international policy discussions and global health initiatives, he is quick to emphasize that influence does not require a prestigious title, an international platform, or a formal leadership position.
In fact, he believes some of the most meaningful changes begin with everyday observations.
Nurses recognize gaps in care, identify opportunities for improvement, advocate for patients, and adapt when existing systems fail to meet people’s needs. These skills are not only essential to nursing practice; they are also the foundation of effective leadership.
Whether it means questioning an outdated procedure, mentoring a colleague, joining a professional organization, conducting research, or speaking with a policymaker, every nurse has opportunities to make a difference.
Aric encourages nurses to pay attention to the challenges they encounter repeatedly and consider how they might contribute to a solution.
“You do not have to change the entire healthcare system to be influential. You have to be willing to change the part of it you can reach.”
His message is particularly meaningful at a time when nurses are increasingly called upon to help address complex challenges involving healthcare access, health inequities, workforce development, and public health.
As Aric reminds us, global health challenges are not distant issues. Their effects are experienced every day in hospitals, schools, clinics, emergency departments, and communities.
The nursing perspective matters in every one of those settings.
A Legacy Defined by People, Not Positions
Looking ahead, Aric remains committed to improving access to care for children and families, exploring innovative uses of technology to address clinical challenges, advancing global child health, and strengthening nursing’s role in health policy.
He is particularly interested in the intersection of these efforts where lessons learned through patient care can inspire innovation, influence healthcare systems, and ultimately contribute to better policy.
Yet when asked what he hopes his legacy will be, Aric’s response reflects the same philosophy that has guided his work.
“I do not want my legacy in nursing to be a list of programs I developed, positions I held, presentations I gave, or organizations I represented. I would like my legacy to be people.”
He hopes his influence will be reflected in nurses who find the courage to pursue opportunities they once thought were beyond their reach, recognize the value of their ideas, and become advocates and mentors for others.
He also hopes to help expand the profession’s understanding of what nurses can accomplish.
From providing compassionate care at the bedside to contributing to international health policy, Aric sees these efforts as part of the same continuum of nursing practice each rooted in knowledge, experience, and a commitment to improving health.
His vision of success is simple yet profound: more nurses recognizing their potential, stepping into opportunities to lead, and opening doors for those who follow.
Honoring a Nurse Influencer
The ANA-Illinois Nurse Influencer Award celebrates individuals whose contributions advance the profession and demonstrate nursing’s ability to create meaningful, lasting change.
Aric Shimek exemplifies that spirit through his dedication to service, his commitment to elevating nursing’s voice, and his belief in empowering others to lead. His work serves as an inspiration to nurses everywhere: meaningful influence begins with the willingness to make a difference, and its greatest impact may be seen in the people who carry that work forward.
His story reminds us that influence is not defined by professional titles or the size of one’s platform. It is reflected in the patients whose care improves, the systems that change, the voices that are heard, and the nurses who discover their own potential because someone believed in them.
ANA-Illinois proudly congratulates Aric Shimek on receiving the 2026 Nurse Influencer Award and thanks him for his contributions to the nursing profession.