Dr Anna Maria Valdez Ph.D., RN, FAEN, FAADN Professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing at Sonoma State University

Dr Anna Maria Valdez Ph.D., RN, FAEN, FAADN joins Laura Whitehead on the podcast this week. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing at Sonoma State University. She discusses her career to date and what led her to apply to a nursing programme. Dr Anna discusses how she managed working full time and studying. Dr Anna had worked in the Emergency Department and Intensive care throughout her career and she discusses her move into education and academia. She discusses her PhD and what led to her focus on Nursing Education. We talk about the role of nurses, how nursing has developed and the importance of nurses being involved in policy development. Dr Anna shares her view on Florence Nightingale and we must be aware of the place of privilege she came from and how others who have contribution to the profession have been forgotten over time. Laura and Dr Anna discuss hierarchy in healthcare and how as a profession nurses can be guilty of repressing others in their career development. Dr Anna discusses the he Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity and the importance of a focus in health equity and nurse wellness in the report. She shares her advice for newly qualified nurses and importance of boundaries. Dr Anna outlines her plans for the future as her excitement at starting as the Editor of the Emergency Nursing journal and her career goals.