Dean Lorna Finnegan reelected to National Academic Nursing Board
This appointment reflects Finnegan's commitment to creating more accessible pathways to nursing.
February 12, 2025
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Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Dean Lorna Finnegan has been reelected by her peers to the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a leading national academic nursing organization.
She will serve a two-year term as a member-at-large beginning this spring, the AACN announced on Feb. 6. Deans from nursing schools nationwide with baccalaureate and higher degree programs elect the AACN board.
“Dean Finnegan is a visionary educator committed to health equity and to widening the professional pathway to nursing for students of all backgrounds,” said Provost Douglas W. Woods. “We are proud to have her represent Loyola University Chicago on the national stage and congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”
A former executive associate dean at the University of Illinois College of Nursing, Finnegan came to Loyola Nursing in 2019 and has guided the school to its highest-ever undergraduate ranking while launching innovative programming to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce.
Dean Finnegan is a visionary educator committed to health equity and to widening the professional pathway to nursing for students of all backgrounds.
— Douglas W. Woods, provost and chief academic officer
She has also significantly expanded the School of Nursing’s research footprint, particularly in nursing science that addresses social determinants of health. The school now ranks 49th nationally among nursing schools receiving prestigious National Institutes of Health funding, a jump of 41 spots from the previous year, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
Finnegan also established the award-winning CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which marked the graduation of its first cohort in 2024.
Under her leadership, the school has national recognition for its focus on inclusion, including the AACN’s 2024 Inclusive Excellence, Belonging, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Award. Loyola Nursing earned back-to-back Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Awards for Health Professions Schools in 2023 and 2024.
Finnegan previously served as president of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, the leading organization devoted to quality nurse practitioner education, where she led national efforts to transition nurse practitioner programs to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. She was also named a 2024 Notable Leader in Health Care by Crain’s Chicago Business.
AACN membership includes more than 875 public and private schools of nursing at universities that offer a mix of baccalaureate, graduate, and post-graduate programs. The organization, which works to establish and implement quality standards in nursing education and promote public support for the nursing profession, represents more than 52,000 faculty and 565,000 students nationwide.
Note: this story was previously published in October 2024 when Dean Finnegan was elected as a member-at-large through March 2025 following a special election to fill a vacancy on the 13-member board. She was elected last year to serve in the position for seven months, following a special election to fill a vacancy on the 14-member board.
Read more stories from the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
