Anna Valdez, PhD, RN, PHN, CEN, CFRN, CNE, FAEN, FAADN, California

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Initiatives of the Year Award (Individual category)

Recognizes an individual member (or group of individuals, state councils, emergency departments and/or hospitals) whose efforts to create or lead innovative initiative(s) align with ENA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Program Charter and demonstrate a measurable impact on the delivery of health care.

Anna is a professor of nursing at Sonoma State University and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing. She is currently serving as co-chair of the ENA DEI Member Committee. She is an appointed Commissioner in the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and contributed to the commission’s foundational paper on racism in nursing. Anna has presented nationally on antiracism, bias, environmental justice, health equity and DEI. She has taught thousands of nurses and health care professionals about providing inclusive, unbiased and equitable care. Her research and publications include have focused on emergency nursing, DEI, bias, antiracism in nursing and health equity. Anna was selected as one of the 20 nurse leaders advocating for health equity to follow on social media in 2023.