The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing hosted the 2024 LaVerne Gallman Distinguished Lectureship on Dec. 9, 2024, featuring Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the International Council of Nurses and professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing and Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The event focused on digital transformation in nursing for global health.
This lecture aligned with the UT Austin School of Nursing’s commitment to addressing health care challenges through innovation and education. Cipriano’s insights offered valuable perspectives for nursing professionals, faculty, students and community members. By embracing the opportunities that digital transformation presents, the field of nursing is poised to enhance care delivery, patient outcomes and accessibility.
Attendees gained insight into leveraging digital innovation for improved global health outcomes. Cipriano's lecture explored the integration of digital tools and technologies into health care systems worldwide.
"Nurses truly are digital health champions,” Cipriano said during her lecture.
As a prominent advocate for nursing leadership, clinician well-being, and equitable health policies, Cipriano brings a wealth of expertise and vision to the conversation. Her work with the International Council of Nurses has emphasized advancing the profession globally through advocacy and evidence-based practices.
Cipriano is a distinguished nursing leader with over four decades of experience, recognized for her exceptional contributions to health care and nursing advocacy. She served as dean of the University of Virginia School of Nursing and the Sadie Heath Cabaniss Professor of Nursing through July 2022, following an accomplished tenure as president of the American Nurses Association from 2014 to 2018, where she represented four million registered nurses nationwide. She also held executive roles at the University of Virginia Health, overseeing inpatient and outpatient clinical services, leading the health system to earn its initial “Magnet” designation in 2006. Since 2021, she has served as president of the International Council of Nurses, amplifying the global visibility of nursing and influencing health care policy worldwide.
As a leader in the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, Cipriano has championed strategies to reduce clinician burnout and improve mental health support, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also an advisor to TIME’S UP Healthcare, advocating for gender equity and safety in the health care workforce. Honored with numerous accolades, including being named among Modern Healthcare’s “Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and “Top 25 Women in Healthcare,” Cipriano is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence at the National Academy of Medicine. She holds advanced degrees in nursing and executive administration, highlighting her lifelong commitment to advancing the nursing profession.