Pamela F Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN
Biography
Pamela F. Cipriano served as dean of the UVA School of Nursing and the Sadie Heath Cabaniss Professor of Nursing through July 2022. Prior to becoming dean, she served two terms as the president of the American Nurses Association, from 2014 until 2018, and represented the interests of the nation’s four million registered nurses. She also has extensive experience as an academic medical center executive and served for nine years as the chief clinical officer/chief nursing officer at UVA Health where she was responsible for all inpatient and outpatient clinical services. Under her leadership, the Health System earned its initial American Nurses Credentialing Center “Magnet” designation in 2006.
In 2021, Dean Cipriano was elected President of the International Council of Nurses after serving four years as its 1st Vice President. Her advocacy for the nursing profession is well-recognized. She is known nationally and internationally as a strong advocate for quality, growing nursing’s influence on healthcare policy, and leading efforts to advance the role and visibility of nurses. She served as a public-sector adviser in the U.S. Delegation to the 69th World Health Assembly in 2016.
Cipriano’s more than 40-year career in nursing is also marked by a focus on improving the safety and efficiency of care by ensuring a healthy, safe, and supportive work environment and encouraging healthy behaviors to promote well-being. She has been a leader in the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience and was instrumental in advancing strategies to reduce regulatory burden and revamp electronic documentation to relieve clinicians of unnecessary work. Her recent work with the Collaborative focuses on mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of all clinicians by addressing the psychological safety and support for caregivers as well as reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care as primary prevention for burnout syndrome and depression. She also serves as an advisor to TIME’S UP Healthcare, which aims to eliminate sexual harassment and gender inequality in healthcare.
She has been repeatedly recognized for her exceptional leadership and contributions to the profession, including being a Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence at the Institute of Medicine and being inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and earning its Healthcare Leader Award. She was named among the “Top 100 Most Influential People in (U.S.) Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine for four consecutive years (2015 to 2018), and one of its “Top 25 Women in Healthcare” in 2015. Cipriano served as the inaugural editor of American Nurse Today, the official journal of the American Nurses Association, for eight years.
Dean Cipriano earned nursing diploma from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 1976, a BSN from American University in 1978, and an MSN in 1981 from the University of Washington. In 1992, she earned a PhD in executive nursing administration from the University of Utah’s College of Nursing. She holds certification in Advanced Executive Nursing Administration.
Certifications
- Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC)
Honors and Awards
- Ranked number 2 on Healthcare Global's list of the Top 10 women in health care (2021)
- Fellowship Ad Eundem from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2020)
- Helen Manzer Award, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing(2020)
- Margretta Madden Styles President's Award, American Nurses Credentialing Center (2019)
- American Academy of Nursing's Healthcare Leader Award(2018)
- Distinguished Alumni, University of Washington School of Nursing (2018)
- Honorary Doctor of Science honoris causa, Medical University of South Carolina (2017)
- Distinguished Alumni, University of Utah (2017)
- Distinguisihed Nurse of the Year, Beta Kappa Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International, UVA SON (2017)
- Modern Healthcare's "Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" (2015-2018)
- Distinguished alumnus, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Alumni Association (2016)
- Modern Healthcare's "Top 25 Women in Healthcare" award (2015)
- Distinguished Alumna, University of Utah College of Nursing (2014)
- Distinguished Nurse Scholar in Residence, Institute of Medicine (2010-11)
- Distinguished Member Award , American Nurses Association (2008)
- Nurse Executive Advanced - Board Certified, American Nurses Credentialing Center (2007)
- Magnet Recognition for Nursing Excellence, Awarded to the University of Virginia Health System by the ANCC (2006)
Service
- President, International Council of Nurses (2021-2025)
- Vice President, International Council of Nurses (2018-2021)
- National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience (2018-present)
- Advisor in the U.S. delegation to the 69th World Health Assembly (2016)
- President, American Nurses Association (2015-2018)
Publications
Journal Articles
Cipriano, P.F., Blanchard, K.A., & Rose, W.E. (2021). Preventing violence to achieve peaceful and inclusive societies. American Journal of Nursing, 121(9), 58-63. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000790652.74669.ec
Cipriano, P. & Nelson, T. (2021). CNO-CFO collaboration for safe nurse staffing. American Nurse Journal, 16(2), 40-43.
Kelsey, E.A., West, C., Cipriano, P., et al. (2021). Suicidal ideation and attitudes toward help seeking in US nurses relative to the general working population. American Journal of Nursing, 121(11), 24-36. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000798056.73563.fa
Melnick, E. R., West, C. P., Nath, B., Cipriano, P. F., Peterson, C., Satele D. V., Shanafelt, T., & Dyrbye, L. N. (2021). The association between perceived electronic health record usability and professional burnout among U.S. nurses. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(8), 1632-1641. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocab059
Cipriano, P., Daley, K., Patton, R., Blakeney, B., Foley, M., Betts, V. T., Cole, E., & Nichols, B. (2020). An open letter from past presidents of the American Nurses Association. American Journal of Nursing, 120(11), 11. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000721240.18940.d5
Cipriano, P. & Nelson, T. (2020). CNO-CFO collaboration for safe nurse staffing. American Nurse Journal, 16(2), Feb 2021. 40-43.
Cipriano, P. F., Boston-Leary, K., McMillan, K., Peterson, C. (2020). The US COVID-19 crises: facts, science and solidarity. International Nursing Review, 67, 437-444.
Dyrbye, L. N., West, C. P., Leep Hunderfund, A., Johnson, P., Cipriano, P., Peterson, C., Beatty, D., Major-Elechi, B., Shanafelt, T. (2020). Relationship between burnout and professional behaviors and beliefs among us nurses. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 62, 959-964.
Cipriano, P. (2020). NPD practitioners-allies in achieving goals. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 36(2), 114-115. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000618
Cipriano, P.F. (2020). Standing with the WHO. American Journal of Nursing, 120(9), 7. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000697540.45145.69
Dyrbye, L, West, C., Johnson, P., Cipriano, P, Peterson, C., Beatty, D., Major-Elechi, B., & Shanafelt, T. (2020). Original Research: An investigation of career choice regret among American nurses. American Journal of Nursing, 120(4), 24-33. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000660020.17156.ae
Dyrbye, L.N., West, C.P., Johnson, P.O., Cipriano, P.F., Beatty, D.E., Peterson, C. (2019). Burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among nurses. J Occup Environ Med, 61(8), 689-698. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001637
Cipriano, P. (2018). 100 years on: The Spanish Flu, pandemics, and keeping nurses safe. International Nursing Review, 65(3), 305-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12483
Chow, M., Cipriano, P., Cromwell, T., Murphy, J., O’Brien, A., Sensmeier, J, & Westra, B. (2013). A blueprint for action: Demonstrating quality measures across all settings with health information technology. Journal of Healthcare Information Management, 27(3), 70-75.
Cipriano, P., Bowles, K., Dailey, M., Dykes, P., Lamb, G., & Naylor, M. (2013). The importance of health information technology in care coordination and transitional care. Nursing Outlook, 61(6), 475-489.
Hamer, S., & Cipriano, P. (2013). Involving nurses in developing new technology. Nursing Times, 109(47), 18-19.
Cipriano, P. & Hamer, S. (2013). Enabling the ordinary: More time to care. American Nurse Today, 8(11), SR2-4.
Cipriano, P. (2012). Membership in NSNA: An unparalleled experience. Imprint, 59(3), 31.
Cipriano, P.F. (2012). The importance of knowledge-based technology. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 36(2), 136-46.
Cipriano, P. (2012). The imperative for patient-, family-, and population-centered interprofessional approaches to care coordination and transitional care: A policy brief by the American Academy of Nursing’s Care Coordination Task Force. Nursing Outlook, 60(5), 330-3.
Cipriano, P. (2011). The quality nexus: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. American Nurse Today, 6(11), Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/the-quality-nexus-office-of-the-national-coordinator-for-health-information-technology/.
Cipriano, P. (2011). This one's ours! American Nurse Today, 6(10), Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/this-ones-ours/.
Cipriano, P. (2011). 9/11: Remembrance and resilience. American Nurse Today, 6(9), 6.
Cipriano, P. (2011). A power multiplier. American Nurse Today, 6(8), .
Cipriano, P. (2011). RN: Pride and prejudice. American Nurse Today, 6(7), 6.
Cipriano, P. (2011). Jo Eleanor Elliott: A legacy of courage. American Nurse Today, 6(6), .
Cipriano, P. (2011). Making history: When nursing succeeds, health care succeeds. American Nurse Today, 6(5), 6.
Cipriano, P. (2011). Doing the most good. American Nurse Today, 6(4), Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/doing-the-most-good/.
Cipriano, P. (2011). Crime doesn't pay. American Nurse Today, 6(3), Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/crime-doesnt-pay/.
Cipriano, P. (2011). When medication regulations collide with common sense. American Nurse Today, 6(2), Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/when-medication-regulations-collide-with-common-sense/.
Cipriano, P. (2011). Courting quality. American Nurse Today, 6(1), 8.
Cipriano, P. (2011). Transforming care through health information technology. A conversation with Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. American Nurse Today, 6(11), 8, 10.
Cipriano, P. (2011). The future of nursing and health IT: The quality elixir. Nursing Economics, 29(5), 286-289.
Book Sections
Cipriano, P. F. (2021). Foreward. In D. Fontaine, T. Cunningham, & N. B. May (Eds.), Self-care for new and student nurses (1st ed., pp. xxiii-xxvii). Sigma Theta Tau International.
Ross, S. & Cipriano, P. (2020). Clinician well-being: Joy in work. In S. B. Hassmiller, & J. Pulcini (Eds.), Advanced practice nursing leadership: A global perspective (1st ed., pp. 255-271). Spring Nature
Cipriano, P. & Keim-Malpass, J. (2018). Influencing public opinion and health policy through media engagement. In B. Patton, M. Zalon, & R. Ludwick (Eds.), Nurses making policy from bedside to boardroom (2nd ed., pp. 291-328). Springer Publishing Company.
Cipriano, P. (2015). Working with the media: Shaping the health policy process. In B. Patton, M. Zalon, & R. Ludwick (Eds.), Nurses making policy from bedside to boardroom (1st ed., pp. 317-358). Springer Publishing Company.
Burnes-Bolton, L., Cipriano, P., Gelinas, L., McClure, M., & Gassert, C. (2012). The intersection of technology and healthcare: Policy and practice implications. In D. Mason, J. Leavitt, & M. Chaffee (Eds.), Policy and politics in nursing and health care (6th ed., pp. 444-450). Elsevier.
Columns, Editorials and Op-Eds
Cipriano, P. F. (2022, January 18). Influence: Nurses can change the world. International Nursing Review. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inr.12745.
Cipriano, P. F. (2022, January 11). Climate courage. American Nurse Journal. https://www.myamericannurse.com/climate-change-courage/.
Feist, J., Feist, C., & Cipriano, P. (2020, August 6). Stigma compounds the consequences of clinician burnout during COVID-19: A call to action to break the culture of silence. NAM Perspectives. Commentary, National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.31478/202008b.
Cipriano, P. (2018, January 1). Passion with purpose: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, February 1). Your support matters: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, March 1). Human Rights: ANA and nurses call for migrant family reunifications: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, April 1). Nurses shaping the future of health care: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, May 1). 20 million strong: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, June 1). Stopping sexual harassment and violence against nurses: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, July 1). Workplace violence: A nurse tells her story: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, August 1). The Nursing Now campaign launches: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, September 1). Inspire, innovate, and influence: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, October 1). Transitions and transformation: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, November 1). Responding to disasters: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Cipriano, P. (2018, December 1). The New Year rings in a call for continued nurse advocacy: Column. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/.
Horvath, K., Sengstack, P., Opelka, F., Kitts, A. B., Basch, P., Hoyt, D., Ommaya, A., Cipriano, P., Kawamoto, K., Paz, H. L., & Overhage, J. M. (2018, October 1). A vision for a person-centered health information system. NAM Perspectives. National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://nam.edu/a-vision-for-a-person-centered-health-information-system/.
Ommaya, A. K., Cipriano, P., Hoyt, D. B., Horvath, K. A., Tang,P., Paz, H. L., DeFrancesco, M. S., Hingle, S. T., Butler, S., & Sinsky, C. A. (2018, January 29). Care-centered clinical documentation in the digital environment: Solutions to alleviate burnout. NAM Perspectives. National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://nam.edu/care-centered-clinical-documentation-digital-environment-solutions-alleviate-burnout/.
Kishore, S., Ripp, J., Shanafelt, T., Melnyk , B., Rogers, D., Brigham, T., Busis, N., Charney, D., Cipriano, P., Minor, L., Rothman, P., Spisso, J., Kirch, D.G., Nasca, T., & Dzau, V. (2018, October 26). Making the case for the chief wellness officer in America’s health systems: A call to action. Health Affairs Blog. Retrieved from https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20181025.308059/full/.
Cipriano, P. (2013, December). Let there be peace [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, November). Technology: Powering global healthcare transformation [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, October). The new health insurance marketplace [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, September). In the blink of an eye: The hazards of laser pointers [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, August). Confronting racism in health care [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, July). Say it isn’t so: Eradicating the fear of retaliation [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, June). Rising to the top [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, May). The new normal [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, April). Through the kindness of strangers [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, March). Hospital nurse staffing for dummies [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, February). Do no harm [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2013, January). The healthy nurse [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, December). A year of gifts [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, November). Dear Members of Congress [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, October). Carrots and sticks [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, September). A new egalitarianism [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, August). Health care needs a swoosh [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, July). Patient-centeredness as algorithm [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, June). ANA pays it forward [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, May). Healthy and wise [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, April). Precision and perfection [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, March). Reaching escape velocity [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, February). Save a life -- yours (and your patients')! [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Cipriano, P. (2012, January). When it's my time to die [Editorial]. American Nurse Today. 6.
Technical and Research Reports
Begley, R., Cipriano, P., & Nelson, T. (2020). The business of caring: Promoting optimal allocation of nursing resources, Outcomes-based staffing. (Report). Retrieved from https://healthmanagement.org/c/hospital/news/optimal-allocation-of-nursing-resources