BROOKINGS – Robin Arends, SDSU’s advance practice registered nurse program director, has been selected as one of 250 distinguished nurse leaders to be inducted into the 2022 Class of Fellows with the American Academy of Nursing. The inductees will be recognized for their significant contributions to health and health care at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference in October.

Arends is the only fellow selected from South Dakota among a group representing 35 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 17 countries. The academy’s fellows are experts in policy, research, administration, practice and academia and champion health and wellness worldwide. Arends began teaching in SDSU’s family nurse practitioner program in 2011.

“This is a tremendous honor for Dr. Arends and SDSU’s College of Nursing,” said Mary Anne Krogh, dean of the College of Nursing. “Robin’s professional experience and commitment to higher education, access to care and primary care has established her as a national leader in her field, and her work has a positive impact on our students and faculty. We are fortunate to have someone with Robin’s expertise and experience working in our college.”

Arends has worked as a registered nurse in the critical care unit at Sanford Medical Center and as a family nurse practitioner at Falls Community Health. She currently works as a family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Avel eCare and is also the executive director of the Nurse Practitioner Association of South Dakota, where her advocacy efforts have greatly expanded access to high quality primary care services.

Arends earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Briar Cliff University, a master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and a doctor in nursing practice degree from South Dakota State University. She most recently earned her post-graduate certificate as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner from South Dakota State University.