Honoring A Gator Nursing Leader
Dean Anna McDaniel Steps Down After 10 Years at the College of Nursing.
After 10 years, a global pandemic, a top-five university status and thousands of graduating Gator Nurses, Anna M. McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, has stepped down as the dean of the University of Florida College of Nursing.
As of July 1, McDaniel returned to a faculty role.
In 2013, McDaniel became the college’s fifth dean, leading the college to many firsts and expertly navigating the unknowns of academic nursing through a pandemic. Under her leadership, the college experienced tremendous growth, as well as national and international recognition. Most notable was the rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN, degrees, as well as National Institutes of Health research funding, which has increased 12-fold since 2014.
“Serving the students, faculty, administration and citizens of the state of Florida has been my proudest achievement,” McDaniel said. “Gator Nursing is much more than a name; it is an indelible bond between a community and a commitment to Care, Lead and Inspire in everything that we do. It has been both an honor and a privilege to work with the incredible faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the college.”
McDaniel joined the UF College of Nursing from the Indiana University School of Nursing, where she served in various roles beginning in 1992, including as the associate dean for research. A native Midwesterner, McDaniel earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University and her PhD in nursing from Indiana University.
During her 10-year tenure at UF, the college made significant strides to improve its education, research and clinical foci. McDaniel led the recruitment of many world-renowned clinicians and researchers, increasing faculty numbers by 50% in nine years, from 44 to 63, and, over the past year, hiring nearly 20 more through recurring state PIPELINE funding. The college also completely transformed its BSN curriculum by incorporating innovative concepts from the college’s tripartite motto of Care, Lead, Inspire; as well as streamlined the DNP program’s curriculum. In 2014, McDaniel championed the establishment of the White Coat Ceremony tradition for first-semester BSN students. The UF College of Nursing was selected as one of 100 schools nationwide to pilot the new white coat initiative, which promotes humanistic, patient-centered care among incoming nursing students.
Under McDaniel’s leadership as the associate vice president for academic-practice partnership at UF Health Shands, the college strengthened the collaboration with the UF Health Shands division of nursing, said David R. Nelson, MD, senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
“Anna McDaniel has a natural ability to build meaningful partnerships at the institutional level, within the hospital, in the community, across the state and with philanthropic supporters,” Nelson said. “We have seen evidence of her excellence in partnership through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s recent New Era in Academic Partnership Award, as well as the recent partnership with the state’s first historically Black college, Edward Waters University, to help improve the ability of underserved individuals to enter the nursing field.”
McDaniel, who maintained her own research and scholarship in informatics and tobacco cessation throughout the deanship, grew the college’s research portfolio. She also served as the chair of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing, as a reviewer for professional journals and scientific meetings and as an ad hoc member of NIH review panels in her areas of research expertise. Through her successful recruitment efforts, the five endowed professorships and chairs within the college were filled with recognized researchers with expertise focused on three areas of excellence: health equity and palliative care, symptom science, health care quality and informatics.
The college’s commitment to inclusive excellence was also expanded during McDaniel’s leadership. Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini was first named the director of diversity before her role was expanded to the current associate dean for community engagement and global affairs. In 2020, the Council for Social Justice was added as a permanent component of the college’s organizational structure.
McDaniel supported the establishment of the college’s EMBRACE (Engaging Multiple Communities of BSN Students in Research and Academic Curricular Experiences) Program, which provides unique research and leadership opportunities for undergraduate nursing students from multiple backgrounds, toward creating an inclusive environment for different viewpoints in the scholarly nursing community. Since 2016, 210 underrepresented students have been mentored through EMBRACE, and 70% of these students pursue a graduate degree within three years.
“It’s difficult to give Dean McDaniel’s leadership style a label, but if I had to, I would say she’s been a transformational leader,” said Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, the college’s executive associate dean and Kirbo Endowed Chair and current interim dean. “Dean McDaniel has been a leader who has empowered the faculty and staff. She saw strengths when other people may have seen weaknesses. I don’t think many people could have done that, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and all the challenges that have faced academic nursing over the last few years.”
One example of faculty empowerment during McDaniel’s leadership was through the pursuit of the National League for Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator, or CNE, credential. Nearly half the college’s clinical track faculty have obtained certification as CNEs, a mark of distinction among nursing educators. Last year, the College of Nursing was recognized for this achievement through the National League for Nursing’s 2022 Certification Star Award: Honoring the Pursuit of Excellence and Advancement of the Nurse Educator.
In 2021, the college’s pedagogical expertise was recognized at the national level when it was designated a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing for its role as a national leader in nursing education and teaching.
“During crises, it’s always comfortable to focus on the crisis, but it’s self-limiting,” Lyon said. “Part of Dean McDaniel’s leadership style was to rise above the day to day. Her legacy will be that not only did she lead the college in new heights as far as accomplishments across national and international recognition, but she did it with a soft sense of grace that is, in my mind, unusual in very strong leaders.”
In Her Own Words
McDaniel often refers to a promise she made during the interview process for the deanship position, over a decade ago.
“I promised to the faculty and staff that the College of Nursing would be the premier place to work at the University of Florida,” McDaniel said. “I think we have achieved that because of the support network and inclusive environment we have created together. What I will miss most, besides the colleagues I’ve relied on these last 10 years, is the creativity and energy that is generated at the college whenever we are working to solve a problem or advance an initiative.”
When asked what accomplishments she is most proud of from her time as dean at the College of Nursing, McDaniel does not hesitate to list her top three.
First, she said she is proud of the partnerships that were strengthened between the college and the clinical sites at UF Health Shands, UF Health Jacksonville and the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A second point of pride is the faculty who joined the college to contribute to its mission and culture.
Lastly, McDaniel said she is proud of the investment from philanthropic supporters to help the college achieve its strategic priorities within the three missions of teaching, research and clinical service.
“It has been a dream come true to receive the generous support from College of Nursing alumni and friends who truly believe in what we can accomplish together,” she said. “The Kirbo Innovation and Learning Lab opened two-and-a-half years ago, but it still has the appeal of being shiny and brand new. The renovation, equipment and maintenance would not be possible without our loyal supporters trusting in our commitment to education.”
McDaniel was recognized at the BSN Class of 2023 Pinning and Recognition Ceremony in May — her final pinning ceremony as dean.
“Throughout her time as dean, the UF College of Nursing has seen tremendous growth and international recognition,” said Ashley-Marie Mendez (BSN 2014), the Nursing Alumni Council president and current DNP student. “The COVID-19 pandemic challenged our college — and indeed the world —like no other time in recent history. Dean McDaniel has remained committed to our college’s values with a clear passion for inspiring greatness in every student, faculty, staff and alumnus.”
As McDaniel prepared to step down and reflect on her time as dean, she had this message for the graduating class:
“It has been my honor to serve all of you as the dean of this incredible college. I am grateful you entrusted me with one of the most important jobs in our society right now: educating and preparing the future nursing workforce. It has truly been the most significant and meaningful role that I’ve undertaken in my career. I know that each of you will carry the spirit of Gator Nursing in all that you do.”
Honoring Dean McDaniel
Anna M. McDaniel for her 10 years of visionary leadership and innovation. Make a gift to the Anna M. McDaniel Nursing Faculty Innovation Award Fund. This fund has been designed to honor Dean McDaniel’s legacy as an innovator, while providing support for faculty members in developing or promoting their own innovative ideas or products that advance the college in one or more of its missions.