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Loretta C. Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, FAAN, FAANP, dean and professor emerita, School of Nursing, University of Rochester, devoted her career to practice, education, research, consultation, and influencing health services, community health, and military nursing. Dr. Ford's studies on nurse's expanded scope of practice in public health nursing led to the creation of the first pediatric nurse practitioner model of advanced practice at the University of Colorado Medical Center. Later, convinced of the need to meld nursing education, practice, research, and leadership in system change, she provided administrative leadership for a unification model in nursing at the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, in the position of dean of the School of Nursing and the director of nursing in the university's Strong Memorial Hospital. She served as a visiting professor at St. Luke's College of Nursing in Japan, University of Washington, and University of Florida College of Nursing and has led many international nursing education visitations, including some recent lectures in the Far East and the Netherlands. She has authored well more than 200 publications/presentations on the history of the nurse practitioner (NP); unification of practice, education, and research; and issues in advanced nursing practice and health care.
Dr. Ford's advanced degrees were earned at the University of Colorado Schools of Nursing and Education. She holds honorary doctorates from seven prestigious universities and myriads of awards, including the Gustav O. Lienhard Medal from the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; the Living Legend Award from the American Academy of Nursing; the American College of Nurse Practitioner's Crystal Trailblazer Award; the Elizabeth Blackwell Award; and many others. CR: How do you see the DNP degree influencing the NP role?
LCF: I believe that education at any level is an investment and has benefits that are enduring, enlightening, and endless for the individual as well as society. The role of the DNP in the future will be enhanced and expanded as new global opportunities arise; new health technologies are introduced; and as new political, social, and economic challenges seek to change outdated and outmoded health care policies, practices, and problems. It will be up to the individual DNP to innovate, invent, imagine and inquire, and take a leadership role in conducting clinical studies, influencing...