Dr Dawna Lyn Cato
President
Transition To Professional Practice
Dawna currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Nurses Association and Dawna has 22 years of nursing experience in the U.S and 3 years in China. Her background includes a variety of nursing specialties to include 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 Dawna obtained her certification in Nursing Professional Development. Dawna 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. Dr. Cato currently holds a Director at Large position for the ANCC Commissioner on Accreditation and Past-President of the Arizona Nurses Association Special Interest Group Nurse Educators. Dawna also serves as Executive Director of the Arizona Foundation for the Future of Nursing, the philanthropic arm of AzNA that awards nursing scholarships to advance the nursing profession.
