Dawna L. Cato

Dawna L. Cato PhD., RN, NPD-BC currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Nurses Association/Arizona Foundation for the Future of Nursing and Vice-Chair of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation for Practice Transition Accreditation. Dr. Cato has 22 years of nursing experience in the U.S and 3 years in China, where she served as Chief Nursing Officer of a 650-bed specialty hospital. Her background includes a variety of nursing specialties in clinical and leadership roles. She obtained her BSN and Master’s in the Science of Nursing with a specialization in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University. In 2013, Dr. Cato received PhD with a specialization in Nursing Education from Capella University. In 2019 she obtained her certification in Nursing Professional Development. Dr. Cato has held leadership positions as well as voluntary advisory and board positions at local, state, national, and international levels. She is also engaged in presenting and publishing for local, state, national, and international audiences. Dr. Cato’s passion is organizational transformation to advance professional nursing. Her work is focused on implementing best-practice strategies for improved patient outcomes and nurse’s professional growth. These include development and implementation of Nurse Residency Programs, Perioperative Specialty Fellowship Programs and Cardiovascular Specialty Fellowship Programs utilizing the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accreditation standards. Internationally, Dr. Cato She has facilitated frontline leadership workshops and China’s participation in an International Nurse Job Satisfaction Study.