The Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement (TCNA) at the East Tennessee State University College of Nursing is pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Hitt has been selected to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Hitt serves as the executive director of the TCNA. Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Fellows are selected based on their outstanding contributions to improve health locally and globally.
The Academy is a policy organization and an honorific society that recognizes nursing's most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration and academia. Academy Fellows hold a variety of influential roles in healthcare, and collectively they contribute their expertise to develop sound policy that helps to achieve the Academy’s vision of healthy lives for all people.
Hitt holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Mississippi, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Memphis, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
A recognized leader in the field, Hitt previously served as President of the Mississippi Nurses Association and currently serves as President of the Tennessee Nurses Association. She has also contributed nationally through her service on several committees of the American Nurses Association and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She is a federal site evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and serves on advisory boards for several nursing schools.
“Dr. Hitt's selection as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a tremendous honor and a reflection of her remarkable career,” said Dr. Dena Evans, dean of the ETSU College of Nursing. “Through her leadership, scholarship and advocacy, she has championed nurses and advanced the profession at the state and national levels. We are proud to celebrate this achievement and the impact she continues to make.”
The newest Fellows, selected from a competitive pool of candidates, represent 39 states, the District of Columbia and 17 countries. They will deepen the thought leadership of the Academy’s Fellowship, growing its strength to more than 3,600 dedicated nurses—who together will advance the Academy’s mission focused on impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation and science.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing,” said Hitt. “This recognition reflects the support of the many colleagues, mentors and nursing leaders who have shaped my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the profession and remain committed to advancing policies and initiatives that strengthen the nursing workforce and improve health outcomes for the communities we serve.”
Hitt and the 2026 inductees will be recognized for their substantial, sustained and significant contributions to health and healthcare at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on Oct. 8–10, 2026, in Washington, D.C., during the Induction Ceremony on the evening of October 10. After the ceremony, the new inductees can use their FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing) credential, the most prestigious recognition in nursing.
Learn more about the Academy and visit the policy conference website for more details.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improving health locally and globally. With more than 3,400 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.
About East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. A recipient of the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Elective Classification, ETSU integrates hands-on, community-engaged learning across disciplines. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
