Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) announced today that Linda Littlejohns RN MSN CCRN CNRN, Vice President, Clinical Development at Integra, has been selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the most prestigious nursing organizations in the country. The Academy's Fellows include many of the nation's top nursing executives, policymakers, scholars, researchers and practitioners. Ms. Littlejohns was nominated for this honor by two current Academy Fellows and was selected by the Academy's 15-member Fellow Selection Committee for her outstanding achievements in the nursing profession. Ms. Littlejohns will be formally inducted as a Fellow on November 12, 2010 with 115 other nurse leaders during the Academy's Annual Awards Ceremony and Induction Banquet in Washington, DC.
"This is a tremendous honor for Linda. She has been a tireless advocate both for nursing education and the nurse's role in our healthcare system, and has devoted her career to enhancing patient care," said Stuart Essig, Integra's President and CEO. "Through her more than 30 years of experience, Linda has also developed a global reputation as a thought leader in the field of neurotrauma and related critical care. This is a wonderful recognition of her wealth of accomplishments."
Ms. Littlejohns began her career in the medical device industry as Director for Clinical Development at Camino NeuroCare, which was acquired by Integra in March 1999. Prior to her role in the medical device industry, Ms. Littlejohns was the Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Southern California. Ms. Littlejohns is a sought-after expert in her field, lectures worldwide on topics related to the management of the neuroscience patient population, and is widely published in professional texts and journals. She was the co-editor of the "4th Edition of the Core Curriculum for Neuroscience Nursing" and the textbook "Protocols for Practice: Monitoring Technologies in Critically Ill Neuroscience Patients." She continues as the contributing neuro editor for the "Mosby Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences Dictionary." Ms Littlejohns started her nursing career in Johannesburg, South Africa and received her BSN and MSN from California State University after relocating to the USA in 1981.
The American Academy of Nursing's approximately 1,500 Fellows are nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research. They represent a very small percentage of the approximately 2.9 million registered nurses in the United States. The Academy is constituted to anticipate national and international trends in health care, and address resulting issues of health care knowledge and policy. Not only is the invitation to Fellowship recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession, but also affords an opportunity to work with other leaders in health care in addressing the issues of the day. The Academy's mission is to serve the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. For more information about the American Academy of Nursing, please visit their Web site www.aannet.org.