American Association of Nurse Practitioners President Recognized as One of the Most Influential Clinical Executives
Media Contact: Bryan Black
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) applauds the selection of AANP President April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, to Modern Healthcare’s annual ranking of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. Kapu is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships and a professor with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an acute care nurse practitioner (NP).
“I am honored to be named as an influential clinical executive,” said Kapu. “NPs bring tremendous value to health care. It is of utmost importance to elevate awareness of the profession, encourage NPs to take on leadership roles, prepare the next generation of NPs and continue to increase access to health care for everyone. In the last 18 months, US News and World Report ranked NPs as the best health care job and four states modernized their laws to give patients full and direct access to trusted, high-quality NP care.”
“Dr. Kapu is both an outstanding clinical leader and an inspiring champion for patients and NPs alike,” said AANP CEO Jon Fanning, MS, CAE, CNED. “She has had an enormous impact on the NP profession during her time as president, and AANP is grateful for her dynamic leadership, vision and support.”
Kapu has 30 years of experience in health care, including 18 years as an acute care NP. In her role as associate dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Kapu oversees several nurse-led community practices. As a professor of nursing, Kapu teaches in Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Prior to her time as associate dean, Kapu served as associate chief nursing officer for advanced practice nursing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. There, she led as a health system nursing executive, establishing innovative, high-quality and value-driven advanced practice health care services.
Kapu is frequently consulted for her expertise in advanced practice leadership and the development of advanced practice infrastructure for health systems. She has presented in many national and international forums, authored chapters in advanced practice nursing textbooks and published manuscripts in numerous peer-reviewed nursing and medical journals. Kapu holds several professional roles, including Fellow for the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Fellow for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Fellow for the American Academy of Nursing.
Kapu has received several awards, including Vanderbilt’s “Transformational Nurse Leader of the Year” and Tennessee Hospital Association’s “Nurse of Clinical Distinction.” She holds both master's and doctoral degrees in nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 355,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19.