By Pareasa Rahimi
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Dean and Professor Felesia Bowen, PhD, DNP, APRN, PPCNP-BC, FAAN, is President-Elect of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. She will serve a three-year term.
“NAPNAP is my professional practice home, and I am proud of the growth and changes that I have seen as a member,” Bowen said. “As President-Elect, I want to be a part of the leadership that will ensure NAPNAP remains a solid, relevant and impactful organization for years to come. My vision for NAPNAP is that we have a membership that is involved not only in the clinical care of children, but also in health policy that will benefit child health outcomes for all children.”
Bowen is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner and has distinguished herself as a leader in the areas of pediatric asthma, health disparities and health equity. She has a strong academic nursing background with expertise in teaching, service and research. Bowen began her leadership service to NAPNAP as President of the organization’s New Jersey Chapter. Following her presidency, she chaired the New Jersey Chapter’s Health Policy Committee. Prior to her current role, Bowen served on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Pediatric Health Care, the official journal of NAPNAP. She most recently served as Vice Chair of NAPNAP’s new Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Bowen is the recipient of several grant awards, including a five-year Health Resources and Services Administration grant to conduct an upstream, community-level intervention to reduce childhood obesity and its associated poor health outcomes in the Birmingham area. Her expertise in pediatric health care has been recognized at the municipal, state and national levels, including two terms of service as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Forum for Children’s Well-Being. In 2019, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her impact on children's health. She also was named FNINR Ambassador in 2023. Bowen was recently named an inaugural Fellow in the National Black Nurses Association’s Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing in recognition for her contributions in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
