Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of the American Nurses Association
A distinguished leader, Dr. Grant has more than 30 years of nursing experience and is an internationally recognized burn-care and fire-safety expert. He previously served as the burn outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals in Chapel Hill. In this role, Grant oversaw burn education for physicians, nurses, and other allied health care personnel and ran the center’s nationally acclaimed burn prevention program, which promotes safety and works to reduce burn-related injuries through public education and the legislative process. Grant also serves as adjunct faculty for the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing, where he works with undergraduate and graduate nursing students in the classroom and clinical settings.
Grant is frequently sought out for his expertise as a clinician and educator. In addition to being a prolific speaker, he has conducted numerous burn-education courses with various branches of the U.S. military in preparation for troops’ deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, President George W. Bush presented Grant with a Nurse of the Year Award for his work treating burn victims from the World Trade Center site. In 2013, Grant received the B.T. Fowler Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Carolina Fire and Life Safety Education Council for making a difference in preventing the devastating effects of fire and burn injuries and deaths within the state.
An active participant in professional organizations, Grant is a past chair of the National Fire Protection Association board of directors and served as second vice president of the American Burn Association board of trustees. He also holds membership in Sigma Theta Tau and Chi Eta Phi. Grant served as president of the North Carolina Nurses Association from 2009-11. In 2002, ANA honored Grant with the Honorary Nursing Practice Award for his contributions to the advancement of nursing practice through strength of character, commitment, and competence.
Grant holds a BSN degree from North Carolina Central University and MSN and PhD degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in 2014. He is the first man to be elected to the office of president of the American Nurses Association.
Dr. Seun O. Ross, RN, Director of Nursing Practice & Work Environment at the American Nurses Association
Dr. Seun Ross is the Director of Nursing Practice & Work Environment at the American Nurses Association. In her most recent clinical role, Dr. Ross was the Vice President of Clinical Operations for AL Health in Washington D.C., where she provided executive leadership in the areas of quality, compliance and patient care for all medical center sites. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Patient Care Services at MedStar Harbor Hospital. There she chaired multiple committees aimed at transforming the care delivery within her service lines. She also developed and wrote the hospitals Nursing Professional Practice Model; and conducted their first Nursing Research project.
Dr. Ross is a published author, most recently in a book titled, ‘The Doctor of Nursing Practice and the Executive Role”. She has lectured on many topics within her research interests, which include evidence-based practice, workforce management, RN work environment, competency and developing/mentoring the novice RN. She received The Healthcare Award from the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in 2014, in recognition of her efforts in advancing the profession of nursing. She also has an Endowed scholarship in her name at Coppin State University aimed to assist nursing students with families, in completion of their bachelor’s degree.
Dr. Ross earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s Degree from Coppin State University and her Doctoral Degree from Chatham University. She is currently the President of the Chi Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, Vice President of the National Organization for Women (NOW)-Baltimore, a member of the Academy of Healthcare Executives and holds certifications as a family nurse practitioner and Nurse Executive-Advanced.
