Washington, D.C. — October 29, 2025 — The Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) proudly announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Rick García, PhD, RN, CCM, FAAOHN, FNYAM, FAADN, FAAN, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) — one of the highest honors in the nursing profession. The induction, held during the Academy’s 2025 Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., recognized Dr. García’s decades of transformative leadership and lasting contributions to nursing regulation, education, and workforce development.
Dr. García joins an elite group of fewer than 3,200 nurse leaders worldwide who hold the FAAN distinction. This year’s 2025 Class of Fellows marks the largest in the Academy’s history, representing 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries, and exemplifying the global impact of nursing leadership.
“I am deeply grateful to my peers for this extraordinary honor,” García said. “To be welcomed as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is both humbling and profoundly meaningful. It reflects a shared commitment to the integrity of nursing education and reaffirms the essential role of associate degree nursing in protecting the public and advancing health for all individuals. As an ADN graduate, I take great pride in representing OADN and the associate degree nursing community within the Academy and will continue to champion the educators, students, and graduates whose work makes a lasting difference in the lives of those they serve.”
Transformative Leadership in Nursing Regulation, Education, and Workforce Development
Throughout his more than 30-year career, Dr. García has strengthened public protection, advanced nursing education, and expanded access and opportunity within the healthcare workforce.
He is widely recognized for his leadership in developing the Falsified Identity Tracking System (FITS). The nation’s first regulatory tool designed to detect fraudulent nursing education documents. Created through a collaborative effort among nursing regulatory experts, FITS remains the national standard for ensuring credential integrity and was instrumental in the FBI’s 2023 Operation Nightingale, which uncovered thousands of falsified nursing credentials.
As Director of Nursing Education at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Dr. García led the Pathways to Excellence Taskforce, producing evidence-based policy recommendations that continue to shape how doctoral programs prepare the next generation of nurse scientists and faculty leaders.
Today, as CEO of OADN, Dr. García represents more than 1,100 nursing schools and over 400,000 students nationwide. His leadership in the Social Mission Metrics Study, which examined how associate degree nursing programs promote community engagement and broaden educational opportunity, has guided national efforts to strengthen the connection between nursing education and the health needs of communities across the nation.
“Dr. García’s induction into the American Academy of Nursing is a tremendous honor that recognizes his visionary leadership and lifelong dedication to nursing education,” said Lynette Apen, DNP, RN, CNS, CNE, President of OADN. “His body of work reflects an unwavering commitment to nursing as a pillar of ethical, competent, and high-quality care. His contributions advance the Academy’s mission to improve health for all individuals through nursing leadership, innovation, and science. His induction into the American Academy of Nursing affirms his lifelong dedication to protecting the public, advancing nursing education, and shaping policies that prepare a capable and compassionate nursing workforce.”
“As an Associate Degree Nurse himself, Dr. García’s achievement reflects the extraordinary potential of the ADN pathway to produce leaders who transform practice, policy, and education. His journey from the community college classroom to national leadership embodies the mission and spirit of OADN. We take great pride in seeing one of our own receive this recognition, which affirms the power and promise of associate degree nursing to shape future leaders.”
About the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
The Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) is a national organization dedicated to advocating for and enhancing the role of the Associate Degree Nurse (ADN). OADN serves as the collective voice for ADN educators and provides a forum for networking and professional development, shaping the future of nursing education and practice. For information about OADN, please visit https://oadn.org.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing advances health policy and practice to serve the public good by generating, synthesizing, and disseminating nursing knowledge. Fellows are inducted in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to improving health and healthcare locally and globally. With more than 3,200 members, the Academy embodies nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.