Speakers: Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, American Nurses Association President
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy: Learn to be effective before you worry about being comfortable.
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy: I'm Jennifer Mensah Kennedy, the 38th president of the American Nurses Association. I have served on ANA's board on and off in various positions for 16 years and have spent my career at the intersection of bedside care, executive leadership, and national policy.
What will you be speaking about at the 2026 GNSA Conference?
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy: I'll be talking about leading with purpose, advocacy, diplomacy, and leadership. Not as separate skills, but as one connected practice. Nurses are trained to advocate for patients, but stepping into system-level leadership means learning to advocate in rooms where you may be the only nurse present. I'll share what that's taught me about persuasion, coalition building, and holding your ground without burning the bridges you'll need tomorrow.
What does the conference theme mean to you?
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy: The legacy of care tells me we're being asked to think in generations, not quarters. Sustainability isn't only about budgets or burnout. It's about whether the profession we hand off is stronger than the one we've inherited. Leadership and innovation are how we honor the nurses who came before us while refusing to accept that the system has to stay broken.
What advice do you have for graduate nursing students as they advance as leaders in the next phase of their nursing career?
Jennifer S. Mensik Kennedy: Learn to be effective before you worry about being comfortable. The most important rooms you'll enter are the ones where nursing's voice is missing. So build the relationships and the credibility now. They'll let you speak with weight later. And don't mistake patience for passivity. The best advocates know when to push and when to wait, but they never stop moving towards the goal.
