Ruth Kleinpell, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP, FCCM, the Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing Education, has been elected to leadership roles with three key health care organizations. Kleinpell, who also serves as the school’s assistant dean for clinical scholarship, is an international authority on advanced practice nursing, outcomes and critical care.
In October, Kleinpell was elected to the Council of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. The professional organization promotes the highest standards of medicine for all without discrimination. It is comprised of more than 85 national scientific societies and federations.
The international association is governed by an elected council of 14 members; Kleinpell, a critical care authority who is also the assistant dean for clinical scholarship at Vanderbilt, is the only nurse elected to the council. Fellow council members include representatives from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, India, Belgium and the United States.
In January 2020, Kleinpell will take her seat as a member of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Board of Directors. The ANCC provides internationally renowned credentialing programs that certify and recognize nurses in specialty practice areas. It also accredits health care organizations that provide and approve continuing education for nursing professional, and provides the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program, the most prestigious distinction a health care organization can receive for excellence and quality patient outcomes.
Additionally, Kleinpell has been selected to serve on the Tennessee Nurses Association Political Action Committee Board. She is one of nine trustees charged with representing the interests of Tennessee nurses and advocating for the profession in the legislative arena.