FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) honored University of Saint Francis Graduate Nursing Program Director Dr. Caitlin Krouse for her advocacy for the profession.
Krouse received the 2022 AANP State Award for Excellence from the organization. The AANP honors recipients in all 50 states. The advocate award was established in 1993 to highlight the efforts of individuals who have made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and recognition of nurse practitioners. More information is available through the AANP.
Krouse has been a faculty member in the Division of Nursing at USF for five years. She volunteers weekly at Matthew 25 Health and Care for uninsured patients who live in poverty, and she serves on the Board of Directors for Alliance Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center for underserved patients. Additionally, Krouse is the Health Policy Director for the Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana and is a founding member of the Indiana Coalition for Patient-Centered Care. The USF Franciscan values are central to her personal and professional life.
“Caitlin is very deserving of this honor. She is passionate and relentless in her advocacy for the nursing profession and those who serve in advance practice registered nursing. Her work with USF students is invaluable,” USF Director of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Carolyn Yoder said.
Regarding the award, Krouse stated, “As a nurse practitioner, my love for policy and advocacy stems from a deep desire to increase access to high-quality healthcare for vulnerable populations — and the nursing profession does this well! To be recognized with this award from AANP is a great honor.”
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Sciences, and Business and College of Adult and Distance Education. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.