Sarah J. Locke named to AANP Executive Leadership Program

Sarah J. Locke, DNP, an assistant clinical professor with the University of Arizona College of Nursing, was accepted to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Executive Leadership Program’s 2024 cohort.

Locke, the interim family nurse practitioner specialty coordinator in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program, learned she was accepted in January.

“I was ecstatic,” said Locke, who joined the college in 2021 and is based in Gilbert. “It is a program I have been wanting to do for a few years now.”

The fellowship includes an intensive week at George Washington University in Ashburn, Virginia, as well as an online week of learning and networking that adds up to about 50 hours of continuing education.

In her recommendation letter, Sheila Gephart, PhD, RN, called Locke “a rare talent who demonstrates insatiable curiosity, a quest for knowledge and exceptional leadership potential.”

“She is a lifelong learner who attends a variety of webinars, conferences and workshops to further develop leadership and management skills and utilize those learned skills to educate future nurse practitioners,” said Gephart, a professor and interim chair of the Advanced Nursing Practice and Science Division.

Locke said she is looking forward to learning more about executive leadership for nurse practitioners as well as the ability to network with top leaders.

“This program will not only help my own professional development, but it will augment the courses I teach in the DNP program, such as health policy and economics, and organizational leadership and finance,” said Locke, who also has an executive MBA in health administration and plans to pursue a PhD in health care systems research.

A version of this story originally appeared on Health Sciences Connect.