Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing faculty member Steve Stapleton, Ph.D., M.S., RN, CEN, will be inducted into the Emergency Nurses Association’s Academy of Emergency Nursing (AEN).

The AEN fellowship is a prestigious honor recognizing emergency nurses for their significant contributions to quality patient care both in and out of the emergency department. The induction ceremony will take place at Emergency Nurses Association’s 2014 Annual Conference on October 11 in Indianapolis.

The candidates for induction, admitted to AEN as Fellows, have made significant contributions to emergency nursing that go above and beyond being an outstanding nurse and a devoted Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) member.

“It’s an honor to present this award to Steve because as an Academy Fellow he represents the highest quality emergency nursing professional, and has provided visionary and ground-breaking leadership in emergency nursing, ” said ENA President Deena Brecher, M.S.N., RN, APN, ACNS-BC, CEN, CPEN. “He inspires us with his unparalleled dedication to his patients and colleagues.”

Stapleton, an assistant professor, joined MCN in 2010. His research interests include emergency nursing, pain and symptom management and palliative care.

Stapleton has published in such scholarly journals as the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the Journal of Emergency Nursing and the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. He has also received grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Emergency Nurses Association–Foundation.

Stapleton earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing. He recently finished a two-year term as president of the Illinois State Council of the Emergency Nurses Association and was a committee member of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing.

ENA established AEN in 2004, and the first class of Fellows was inducted in 2005. To date, 110 extraordinary emergency nurses have been inducted into the AEN and proudly list FAEN as one of their professional credentials.

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 40,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and nearly all aspects of emergency care.

Additional information is available at ENA.org.