Dr. Ola Fox appointed to AACN CNL Steering Committee

MOBILE, Ala. — Dr. Ola Fox, associate professor of nursing and program coordinator for the Master of Science in Nursing Clinical Nurse Leader (MSN-CNL) program at Spring Hill College, was recently appointed to the national steering committee by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) president, Jeanette Lancaster from the University of Virginia.

Fox will serve alongside other educators and partners from clinical practice to oversee the growth, development and implementation of the CNL role. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for America's baccalaureate- and higher-degree nursing education programs.

At its January 2004 board meeting, AACN confirmed its support for the creation of a new nurse role to enhance care delivery titled the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). The CNL is a generalist clinician with education at the master's degree level. This nurse leader must be prepared to bring a high level of clinical competence and knowledge to the point of care and to serve as a resource for the clinical nursing team. Spring Hill’s Division of Nursing launched their MSN-CNL program in March of 2006, and was the first college in the area to offer the degree.

Fox said, “It is so exciting to be involved in such an important initiative in improving care for patients. When we reviewed the first white papers on the CNL, we knew it was the right program for Spring Hill. The philosophy and mission of the CNL are very similar to the philosophy and mission of the College.”

Fox is a longtime resident of Mobile. She began her career as a nurse manager at Mobile Infirmary Medical Center. She is a graduate of Mobile Infirmary School of Nursing and holds her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, post-masters Gerontological Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist certificate from the University of South Alabama, and her Doctor of Nursing Science from Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans. She has been in academia since 1989. She teaches graduate courses in the MSN-CNL program and serves as coordinator of the MSN program.

For more information on Spring Hill College’s MSN-CNL program, visit www.shc.edu/msn or call 800-524-8957.