Reflections: Recognizing Past Presidents: Cole Edmonson DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAONL, FNAP, FAAN

Successful organizations are built on leadership, inclusive of past leaders as well as present and future leaders. As TONL moves forward, it is important that we as members remember, recognize, and honor nurse leaders of the past, who have given a significant portion of their professional lives to create our professional environment, developing the organization of today to support and promote excellence in nursing leadership.

The first in our series of recognition is Dr. Cole Edmonson. He served as president of TONE/TONL from 2014-2016; he also served as Region 7 representative to AONE/AONL 2017-2019. His ongoing contributions to nursing leadership and his national influence cannot be overstated. He is truly a living legacy and a role model for the reach that each of us can attain through service – as nurse leaders, managers, and administrators.

Dr. Edmonson is currently the secretary of the ANCC Board and the chair of the NLN Foundation. He is member of the International Society for the Professional Identity in Nursing board, the chair of the Society of Disaster Nursing Practice Council, and board member of New Friends New Life. He is an advocate for diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion in the healthcare community and in our society nationwide.

Dr. Edmonson has authored more than 30 articles in scholastic publications on subjects ranging from moral courage in nurse leadership to creating greater civility in the workplace. He coauthored a book on nurse retention for nurse managers and authored a chapter on hospital preparedness for pediatric disasters. Dr. Edmonson is an Executive Nurse Fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Organization for Nursing Leadership, and the National Academy of Practice. He is also a founding member of NursesEverywhere, a nonpartisan coalition of nationally and internationally recognized healthcare leaders and innovators committed to improving health outcomes and educating the public about their rights to access nursing care.

Bringing almost three decades in nursing and nursing leadership, Dr. Edmonson joined AMN Healthcare in 2019 as the Chief Experience and Clinical Officer, where he oversees the company’s clinical and credentialing organizations, learning and research programs, customer experience/marketing and is responsible for clinical quality. He recently appeared in Carolyn Jones’ new documentary In Case of Emergency, highlighting the critical role of nurses in the healthcare system and in the health of our country.

Dr. Edmonson strongly believes that allowing nurses and all health professionals to practice to the full extent of their education will mean improved access to healthcare and higher quality of care for everyone. Barriers to practice for nurses must come down so they can provide the quality care that all people deserve during the pandemic and in the decades ahead. Nurse leaders are in a unique position to provide guidance for a progressive remaking of healthcare practice in America.