August 2026 Honoree
Jordan Black
It is a privilege to nominate Jordan for this prestigious award in recognition of her extraordinary clinical scholarship, leadership, and systemic impact with her DNP project and future career plans. As a DNP-AGACNP student, Jordan completed her DNP project, "The Heart of Critical Care: Elevating ICU Practice with Palliative Care Screening," at the 372-bed HCA Houston Healthcare Texas Medical Center in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), a 22-bed ICU.
Her innovative use of the Palliative Care screening tool was fully integrated into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) with MRN tracking capabilities. Demonstrating exceptional leadership, Jordan secured full executive support from Chief Operating Officer Sam Pena, CVICU Physician Intensivist and Medical Directors, Unit leadership, and the Education and Quality Improvement departments. Her DNP project has achieved long-term sustainability, remains active today, and is slated for expansion into other hospital units, including the 11-bed Medical ICU.
Jordan's work has already garnered significant professional acclaim, with acceptances for a regional HCA Healthcare formal presentation and a presentation at the upcoming Texas Nurses Association Conference. She is currently preparing a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and pursuing professional certifications to further strengthen her leadership skills for career advancement. The profound impact of her DNP scholarship is best demonstrated by the hospital creating a brand-new dedicated Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner role specifically for her, where she will help lead the development of a brand-new Palliative Care program.
Jordan is one of the best and brightest students I have ever had the pleasure of working with-an exemplary nurse scholar; she is a rising star in healthcare leadership and a future national expert in Palliative Care.
Her innovative use of the Palliative Care screening tool was fully integrated into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) with MRN tracking capabilities. Demonstrating exceptional leadership, Jordan secured full executive support from Chief Operating Officer Sam Pena, CVICU Physician Intensivist and Medical Directors, Unit leadership, and the Education and Quality Improvement departments. Her DNP project has achieved long-term sustainability, remains active today, and is slated for expansion into other hospital units, including the 11-bed Medical ICU.
Jordan's work has already garnered significant professional acclaim, with acceptances for a regional HCA Healthcare formal presentation and a presentation at the upcoming Texas Nurses Association Conference. She is currently preparing a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and pursuing professional certifications to further strengthen her leadership skills for career advancement. The profound impact of her DNP scholarship is best demonstrated by the hospital creating a brand-new dedicated Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner role specifically for her, where she will help lead the development of a brand-new Palliative Care program.
Jordan is one of the best and brightest students I have ever had the pleasure of working with-an exemplary nurse scholar; she is a rising star in healthcare leadership and a future national expert in Palliative Care.
Thank you, Jordan, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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