Dr. Dora Clayton-Jones inducted into American Academy of Nursing as AAN Fellow

An associate professor at Marquette University’s College of Nursing, Dr. Dora Clayton-Jones, was recently named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and inducted at the academy’s Washington D.C. Health Policy Conference at the end of last week. 

Clayton-Jones received the award in recognition of her leadership role and dedicated work in the field of health and health care. She is also the first African-American Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to be inducted as a fellow from Wisconsin, according to a press release from Marquette University. The AAN consists of 3,000 nursing leaders who locally, and globally, who specialize in areas across research, practice, academia, administration, and policy. Clayton-Jones is one of 253 inductees from this year so far.

“Dr. Clayton-Jones is the epitome of a courageous, caring nurse leader,” Dr. Jill Guttormson, dean of the College of Nursing, stated in a release. “Her impact on our students, the profession and public health in the sickle cell community is undeniable. Dr. Clayton-Jones is absolutely worthy of this honor, and we wish to congratulate her on joining this esteemed group.”

Clayton-Jones particularly has advanced health and healthcare equity for adolescents and young adults living with sickle cell disease by engaging with them in community and participatory-based research and qualitative methods, according to a press release. This is highlighted through her utilization of a 2021 Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators she received from the University of California, Davis nursing school to fund the “Eliminating Sickle Cell Disparities among Youth: The POSSE Intervention” project. The project is an engaged community effort to support youth and bring in community stakeholders to build networks for managing health along with sickle cell disease into adulthood.

This past spring when Marquette University announced its promotions, Clayton-Jones became the first African American pediatric nurse practitioner to receive tenure in Wisconsin. She is also an Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2022 list of Women of Influence, and received the Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award from Milwaukee Common Council in April.

Clayton-Jones will be joining AAN Fellows who hold a variety of positions from administration in academia, to working as health providers in hospitals, extending to entrepreneurs and researchers as well. By creating and executing evidence-based and policy-related initiates to advance health care, American Academy of Nursing Fellows stand as distinguished leaders pushing health policy and care forward through organizational efforts and practice.