The Board of Directors for the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Anna Valdez, Ph.D., RN, CEN, CFRN, CNE, FAEN, FAADN as Editor in Chief of the association’s official publication Teaching and Learning in Nursing (TELN). OADN President Dr. Donna Spivey echoed the support of the Board by adding, “We are very excited to have Dr. Valdez assume the role of Editor in Chief as she brings many years of reviewer and editorial experience. She began her career as an associate degree nurse and continues to be passionate about nursing education and the future of the nursing profession.”

Dr. Valdez has over 25 years of experience in clinical practice and nursing education. She has taught nursing at all levels and in a variety of settings, and served in leadership positions that include Associate Dean of Nursing at Santa Rosa Junior College and past President of the California Organization of Associate Degree Nursing – North. Dr. Valdez has served on numerous doctoral student dissertation committees and mentors both DNP and Ph.D. students. She is currently serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow Mentor through the Center for Faculty Excellence at Walden University. Dr. Valdez is passionate about emergency nursing, social and environmental justice, health equity, academic progression in nursing, and evidence-based nursing education strategies. She is nationally certified in emergency nursing, flight nursing, and nursing education. Her current research interests focus primarily on emergency nursing, social determinants of health, health disparities, and nursing education. Dr. Valdez has presented at several conferences and served on a variety of health-related advisory boards. She has published over 20 peer reviewed articles and contributed as an author in two current emergency nursing books. Dr. Valdez has served as an Associate Editor, Section Editor and member of the Executive Editorial Board for the Journal of Emergency Nursing. In 2015, she was inducted as a Fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing. Dr. Valdez was inducted as a Fellow in the Academy of Associate Degree in Nursing in 2018.

“I am honored and humbled to assume the role of Editor in Chief for the TELN journal” says Dr. Valdez. “I began my career as an associate degree in nursing graduate and I value the contributions that faculty and graduates of ADN programs make in improving global health outcomes. I look forward to continuing to shine a light on the important contributions made by ADN nurses and educators.”

OADN CEO Donna Meyer states, “Dr. Valdez brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will only continue to provide further advancement of TELN. TELN is an excellent nursing education journal that provides scholarly articles for nursing educators. Dr. Valdez has a vision to enhance the journal with additional innovation that will only provide more reading value for our members and others.”