Dr. Heather McKnight, SAU assistant professor of nursing, was recently named to the Arkansas Action Coalition’s inaugural “40 Under 40” list honoring the state’s emerging leaders in nursing under the age of 40.
The official awards ceremony was held at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock on Friday, June 5, 2015. The 40 honorees included nurses at health systems, nursing schools and school districts across the state, chosen based on criteria that included leadership, service and contributions to the profession.
The Arkansas Action Coalition, which includes representation from state health care providers, consumer advocates, and policymakers as well as business and academic leaders, was formed in 2012 to promote recommendations of a landmark Institute on Medicine report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” Identifying future nursing leaders was one recommendation, and a driving force behind creation of the “40 Under 40” recognition program in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Action Coalition received nominations from across the state. The honorees were chosen by a panel of nurses within the organization based on evidence of professional success; leadership within the profession through clinical practice, education, administration or research; community service; and participation in professional groups or organizations that advance the nursing profession.
The Arkansas Action Coalition is part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a nationwide movement to improve health and health care through nursing. An initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing recommendations.
