UC Irvine professor of nursing to receive national award for policy advocacy.

Dr. Susanne Phillips has improved healthcare access, role of advanced practice RNs

Irvine, Calif., April 17, 2024 — Susanne Phillips, DNP, professor and senior associate dean in UC Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Policy Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

She is being recognized for developing, implementing and advocating for policies that positively affect the role of the advanced practice registered nurse and significantly increase community healthcare access and quality.

“Dr. Susanne Phillips is one of California’s leading nurse policy experts. She advocated for change in the Nursing Practice Act for nurse practitioners, and through her efforts, that change became law. She’s also known on the national stage for her work advocating for nurse practitioner full scope of practice,” said Mark Lazenby, dean of UC Irvine’s nursing school.

Each year, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties’ board of directors selects an honoree whose contributions have notably advanced the nurse practitioner role at the local, regional, national or international level.

“I am honored to receive this award,” Phillips said. “I find it rewarding to be part of helping to remove barriers to APRN practice and advocate for policy changes that help improve community health. It’s also very exciting to educate the next generation and to see their commitment to staying informed on the critical issues affecting the advanced practice of nursing and becoming engaged advocates for change that positively impacts the healthcare landscape.”

Her efforts in California include the codification of rights and privileges for nurse practitioners to deliver essential healthcare services, and her term as the inaugural APRN expert on the California Board of Registered Nursing helped ensure that public policy aligns with the best interests of both providers and patients. Nationally, for the past 19 years, Phillips has produced an annual legislative update describing the state of the profession, a definitive resource for health policy.

In addition, her excellence in teaching health policy has been recognized locally and countrywide, and she has made more than 100 keynote speeches, podium presentations, academic lectures and podcasts. Phillips, who has held the positions of vice president and president of the California Board of Registered Nursing, is also a fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.

The award will be bestowed on Saturday, April 20, as part of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties’ 50th annual conference, in Baltimore.