Internationally recognized nursing leader Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, will deliver the Duke University School of Nursing 2022 Spring Hooding and Graduation Ceremony address at 6 p.m., on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The in-person event is for graduates and their families and friends; the event, including Grant’s speech, will be livestreamed.

Throughout his 30-plus years in nursing, Grant has developed a global reputation as a prominent clinician, educator and burn-care and fire-safety expert. He is currently the 36th president of American Nurses Association (ANA) and is the first man to hold the position. The ANA serves as a leading organization of the nurse-led National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, meant to examine the issue of racism within nursing nationwide; in addition, Grant has spoken publicly about the commission’s objectives and findings in addition to other topics such as ways to increase trust of the COVID-19 vaccine within communities of color.  

The hooding and recognition ceremony will mark the ANA leader’s first formal Duke School of Nursing appearance.  

“As we strategize the school’s work to advance the role of nurses in the transformation of health care and expansion of health equity, we look forward to hearing from Dr. Grant about his career and vision for nursing,” said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, RN, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, dean, Duke School of Nursing, and vice chancellor, nursing affairs, Duke University. “Dr. Grant’s insight about how nurses can strengthen leadership in community health, policy and health systems will reaffirm the guidance our faculty and staff have imparted to our students during their study and practice at Duke. I anticipate Dr. Grant will inspire our students to improve health outcomes for real people, families and communities.” 

More about the Speaker 

Grant received the ANA Honorary Nursing Practice Award in 2002 for his contributions to the advancement of nursing practice through strength of character, commitment and competence. He was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in 2014 and served as president of the North Carolina Nurses Association from 2009 to 2011.  

Grant’s expertise in burn education and safety earned him the Nurse of the Year Award from President George W. Bush in 2002, due to his treatment of burn victims from the World Trade Center site, and the B.T. Fowler Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 from the North Carolina Fire and Life Safety Education Council, for his prevention of fire and burn injuries and deaths within the state. His previous positions have included chair of the National Fire Protection Association board of directors and second vice president of the American Burn Association board of trustees. 

He worked as the burn outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. In this role, Grant oversaw burn education for physicians, nurses, and other allied health care personnel and ran the center’s nationally acclaimed burn prevention program, which promotes safety and aims to reduce burn-related injuries through public education and the legislative process. His other previous positions include chair of the National Fire Protection Association board of directors and second vice president of the American Burn Association board of trustees. 

Grant holds a BSN degree from North Carolina Central University and MSN and PhD degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition to his ANA role, he teaches undergraduate and graduate students as an adjunct faculty member for the UNC School of Nursing. 

More about Ceremony 

The Cameron Indoor Stadium is located at 115 Whitford Drive. This announcement will be updated when additional graduation instructions are available.