The Advanced Practice Initiatives & Certification Outreach Team
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month (Cherokee Nation) Featuring the Story of Sabrina McKinney, DNP, RN, NPDA-BC, NPD-BC, NEA-BC
Dr. Sabrina McKinney lives “at-large,” away from her reservation in Northeastern Oklahoma, though she visits regularly. She carries deep pride in her heritage and has been a Cherokee Nation citizen since childhood, thanks to her wonderful grandparents who registered the entire family. Proud of both her lineage and her profession, she is happy to introduce herself in her native language: “Osiyo, Sabrina McKinney daquadoa. Tsitsalagi ale tsitsunitlvgi disdelisgi ditinidohi,” which means, “Hello, my name is Sabrina McKinney. I am a Cherokee Nation citizen and a nursing director.”
Both of her mother’s parents were Cherokee Nation citizens born and raised in Oklahoma. Like many during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, they moved to California in search of opportunity. Throughout their lives, they were taught Cherokee values—dedication to caring for others, giving back to family, and supporting their communities. Sabrina hopes to carry forward their legacy of service and to continue promoting shared community values, culture, history, and language.
One of the most fundamental Cherokee values guiding Sabrina’s life is gadugi, the principle of coming together and working as one for the common good. She felt called to nursing in many ways. Her grandmother, who was a nurse, instilled in her not only a passion for learning but specifically for healthcare knowledge. Later, as her grandmother faced a long-term and deteriorating health condition, Sabrina felt a deeper call to the profession. She wanted to give back—to care for others with the same compassion and dedication her grandmother both gave and deserved. Pursuing nursing as a second career, she found alignment with gadugi as well as ditsaligohi itsehesdi, meaning “live united, work together as a team.” To Sabrina, nursing is a team sport—whether at the bedside, in professional development, or in leadership. She believes that the important work nurses do cannot be done alone and that they must always strive together for the common good of their patients.
Sabrina began her career as a medical-surgical nurse and earned certification in that specialty to validate her expertise and support others in achieving the same. She was later inspired to pursue the specialty practice of Nursing Professional Development (NPD) as a way to positively influence both professional practice and patient care.
As an NPD specialist, Sabrina advances practice through multiple roles, serving as a:
Learning facilitator
Change agent
Mentor
Leader
Advocate for the NPD specialty
Champion for scientific inquiries
Partner in practice transitions
She continually reflects on the power of teamwork!
Currently, Sabrina leads a high-performing team providing nursing professional development at a major academic hospital, focusing on service, community, mentorship, leading by example, and showing up authentically. She also serves on several professional boards and committees and is the Chairperson and Communications Director for the Cherokees of Northern Central Valley—an official Cherokee Community Organization chartered through the Cherokee Nation Community and Cultural Outreach Office. This nonprofit supports Cherokee Nation citizens living throughout Northern California and is dedicated to preserving Cherokee language, culture, history, traditions, and fellowship. Sabrina is deeply proud of the organization’s achievements, including being named Organization of the Year at the annual Community and Cultural Outreach Conference of Community Leaders. She believes community leaders have a responsibility to preserve culture, uplift their communities, and create opportunities for the next generation of Cherokee Nation citizens in California.
Sabrina helps organize wellness initiatives, community gatherings, and history and language classes. She grows and shares Cherokee heirloom seeds, teaches heirloom gardening and traditional games, and continues learning and speaking the Cherokee language. Aware that the number of fluent speakers is declining, she views language revitalization as essential to preserving Cherokee culture. Dedicated to advancing Cherokee language, culture, history, and fellowship, she works to keep the Cherokee “eternal flame” alive—nurturing it through wellness, culture, community, and language, and making a lasting impact on her community.
For Sabrina, nursing is not only about experience and cultural connection—it’s also about demonstrating knowledge and expertise through certification. Nursing certifications are more than credentials—they represent a deep commitment to professional excellence. She believes they strengthen credibility, and support safe, evidence-based care. Her ANCC board certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) affirms her role in shaping nursing practice through accredited education, competency development, and workforce readiness, while her second ANCC board certification in Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) reflects her responsibility to lead at the systems level and foster environments where nurses can thrive.
Being ANCC dual certified enables her to bridge both practice-level and strategic perspectives, enhancing her impact on outcomes. Her team remains agile, demonstrates their value, and earn distinctions including Accreditation with Distinction for their NCPD and nurse residency programs and the NCPD Premier Award.
Sabrina has pursued certification throughout her career as a validation of expertise and a way to inspire others. In her leadership role, she supports other nurses in earning specialty certification through beneficial opportunities such as the ANCC Success Pays® program, a way for healthcare organizations to support nurses in obtaining or renewing ANCC certification while reducing test-taking anxiety and eliminating financial barriers.
Sabrina finds deep purpose in her work and is committed to motivating others. She considers her role especially rewarding because of the strong teamwork she witnesses every day and views it as a privilege to collaborate with such dedicated leaders and experts. She is also passionate about supporting new graduate nurses through a robust, evidence-based residency program that helps ease their transition into practice. Preceptor and leadership development programs remain close to her heart, and in her current role, she is dedicated to ensuring these individuals have the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to thrive.
As a dual ANCC certified nurse and advocate for professional development, Sabrina is inspired to lead by example, demonstrating that lifelong learning and professional growth are essential to nursing and that investing in one’s development amplifies impact on those served. She later was driven to earn the advanced board certification in Nursing Professional Development Advanced (NPDA-BC) through the Competency & Credentialing Institute. Sabrina was honored to be among the first 20 to achieve this distinction and takes pride in seeing colleagues reach this milestone as well.
Sabrina wears many hats in her profession; all aimed at supporting success. As an ANCC Accredited Provider Program Director, she has led initiatives that promote competency development, support transition-to-practice programs, and contribute to national presentations and publications. She is also actively involved with the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD). In addition, Sabrina serves as a mentor for ANPD’s Leadership Academy, contributes as a subject matter expert on national workgroups and committees, and collaborates with regional NPD leaders to strengthen a shared learning community.
Sabrina was raised with the belief that “education is something no one can ever take away from you.” For her family, who endured profound loss, education has always been a path to uplift oneself, one’s community, and those they serve. Shortly after the forced removal of her ancestors on what is now known as the Trail of Tears, they focused on establishing what was vital to their future. Inspired by this legacy, she pursued a terminal degree in nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Her DNP helped her to bridge the gap between practice, leadership, and systems-level change. The program equipped her to influence healthcare outcomes at an organizational level—shifting from caring for individual patients to shaping systems that support populations, teams, and communities—while staying grounded in nursing’s core values. Sabrina encourages others drawn to leadership and innovation in nursing to pursue advanced education. Reflecting on her own journey, she recalls her mother’s advice: “Time is going to pass anyway. If you think you want to do it, you might as well start.” She did—and others can, too.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month (Sault Tribe/United Houma Nation) Featuring the Story of Joseph Ojibway, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Joseph Ojibway's inspiration to pursue a career in nursing is deeply rooted in his relationship with God. Grateful for the blessings in his life, he sees nursing as the ideal way to share those gifts with his community.
He was also profoundly influenced by his family. His paternal grandmother, a Houma Indian from Louisiana, worked as a cook at the tribal school in Dulac, pouring love into every meal she prepared—from gumbo to fry bread.
Her dedication to her community inspired Joseph’s father to become a lawyer specializing in Native American law and policy. Joseph’s mother, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, spent much of her career as the director of a second-hand clothing store that funds essential community services. Rooted in his family and Native American culture, Joseph has always valued caring for the community. Nursing has given him the opportunity to serve by providing holistic, culturally sensitive healthcare.
In 2021, Joseph and his wife relocated their family from Nashville to Michigan so he could provide mental health care for tribal communities. He is currently the only Anishinaabe mental health provider serving any of the 12 tribes in Michigan. Through his collaborative practice with traditional healers, Joseph has developed a deep understanding and appreciation for the medicine wheel framework of health, which emphasizes balance among mind, body, spirit, and emotions. While caring for a person’s spirit is often overlooked in Western medicine, spiritual wellness is central to the health of Indigenous communities.
Joseph’s sons attend an Anishinaabemowin language immersion school on a reservation, where they’re learning a language that naturally celebrates the spiritual side of life. Through his involvement in the community, Joseph also discovered Baaga’adowewin—the Anishinaabe version of lacrosse, known as The Creator’s Game or The Medicine Game. Although he grew up playing modern lacrosse in Vermont, this traditional form was new to him.
Baaga’adowewin's rich history had once been banned during the Indian Boarding School era. Now revitalized throughout the Great Lakes region, Baaga’adowewin has become a focus of Joseph’s community involvement. Since 2023, he has been coaching the game at his sons’ school, viewing it as a gift from the Creator and a tool for healing. His work as a nurse and commitment to community health drive his active role in this cultural revitalization effort.
Joseph worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner for nearly a decade in Nashville, TN, primarily serving a Latino patient population as a fluent Spanish speaker. His wife, a combat veteran who served 21 years in the Army, inspired him to further his education at Johns Hopkins University and pursue a career as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She generously shared her GI Bill benefits with him, and witnessing her mental health journey as a veteran, combined with his experience in primary care, highlighted the importance of advanced psychiatric training to provide truly holistic care.
Becoming an ANCC board certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) opened the door for Joseph to start his own private practice. In 2023, he accomplished this goal where he continues to serve tribal communities, Latino populations, and Veterans as his primary patients.
Honoring the ANCC Pathway to Excellence® Program with Gratitude Featuring the Story of Maricon Dans, MSN, RN, NE-BC
As an ANCC certified nurse, I understand the true value of our profession. Being board certified in Nurse Executive (NE-BC) represents far more than a credential—it reflects my commitment to lifelong learning, leadership development, and evidence-based practice. This certification strengthens my ability to serve and mentor teams, elevate standards, and advocate for environments where nurses can genuinely thrive, aligning seamlessly with the mission of the Pathway to Excellence® program. It also validates the knowledge and skills required for my role, demonstrating accountability and professionalism while supporting organizations on their journey to excellence.
Maricon Dans, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Assistant Director of Pathway & Well-Being Excellence Operations
As the Assistant Director of Pathway & Well-Being Excellence Operations, my passion lies in making a meaningful difference in the lives of nurses and creating a global impact by driving positive change through the Pathway Framework—transforming healthcare one organization at a time. Each designation earned is more than a recognition; it reinforces a sustainable culture of excellence. As I reflect on the program’s successes—especially during Thanksgiving—I’m reminded of many moments of gratitude. While we typically celebrate family, friends, and loved ones, the season also invites us to appreciate professional moments.
One story that remains especially meaningful involves a small rural hospital that initially doubted its ability to achieve Pathway designation. Through the unwavering commitment of its nursing leadership, they not only met the standards but transformed their entire workplace. The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) described the Pathway Framework as the “secret recipe” that helped them thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shared that nurses who had previously left began returning, saying, “This is our home. This is where we belong.”
The below ANCC Pathway to Excellence Framework depicts the six standards that are essential elements in developing a positive practice environment for nursing across a variety of healthcare settings including acute care and long-term care:
That moment—recognizing just how essential this program is to an organization—filled me with profound gratitude. I felt grateful for the opportunity to help create environments where nurses truly feel a sense of belonging, especially during challenging times like the pandemic. That, to me, is the essence of the Pathway journey: fostering cultures where nurses are valued, supported, and empowered. Most importantly, I am thankful to God for providing me an opportunity to make a difference in my own way!
In today’s complex and ever-changing healthcare landscape, fostering belonging and recognition is not just important—it is essential. When nurses feel valued and supported, they bring the best versions of themselves to the bedside, fueling collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
This culture of trust and empowerment not only strengthens retention but enhances care quality and fortifies the entire organization. Pathway to Excellence offers the framework to make this vision a reality—one organization at a time. The program recognizes health care organizations committed to creating and sustaining healthy work environments for their staff. My team and I are committed to supporting you and helping you learn more about this program. For additional information, visit:
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Meet Katelyn Bern who manages customer engagement through social media and at ANCC tradeshows. She is committed to delivering engaging and meaningful content to keep you informed about important updates, including celebrations of certified nurses, stories of inspiration, newsletters, upcoming webinars, and more!
Monthly Stories of Inspiration from ANCC Certified Nurses began in May of 2024. You can view all of the 2024 stories by visiting our Meet the Team page, under the Resources for You tab. We also encourage you to read our 2025 stories:
