The American Nurses Credentialing Center has appointed Mary Lou Sole, dean at the UCF College of Nursing, to serve on the Commission on Magnet.

Sole holds the seat representing academic nursing on the 12-person commission, which is a voluntary governing body that oversees the activities for the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program and makes the final decision for award designation. Her term lasts four years.

“It is an incredible honor to be able to serve on the Commission on Magnet, an esteemed designation for nursing.” – Mary Lou Sole, dean at UCF’s College of Nursing

The ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program designates healthcare organizations worldwide that are dedicated to high-quality nursing practice and meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. The award designation is the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice.

“It is an incredible honor to be able to serve on the Commission on Magnet, an esteemed designation for nursing,” says Sole, whose career spans more than three decades in higher education as well as in clinical and research roles with acute care organizations. “I value the importance of Magnet credentialing, which benefits nursing and patient care, and look forward to contributing to the commission with my diverse background, skills and expertise.”

Sole, the Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing and a UCF Pegasus Professor, has served as dean of the UCF College of Nursing since 2015 and was interim dean for two years prior. Additionally, she holds an appointment as nurse scientist at Orlando Health. A widely published researcher and certified critical care clinical nurse specialist, Sole was inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame of Sigma: The Honor Society of Nursing in 2017.

She currently serves on the editorial boards of AACN Advanced Critical Care and American Journal of Critical Care, and is the editor of one of the most widely used undergraduate critical care nursing textbooks. Sole has also served as a member of two National Quality Forum task forces and study sections of the National Institutes of Health.

Sole is the second UCF faculty member to have been elected to an ANCC commission. Professor Nora E. Warshawsky, serves as vice chair of the 12-member Commission on Pathway to Excellence. Pathway to Excellence designation recognizes organizations committed to creating a positive nursing practice environment.