Nursing alumna Dr. Martha A.Q. Curley named a 'Living Legend' by the American Academy of Nursing
The Living Legend Award is one of the highest honors that recognizes a nurse’s professional impact.
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Elaine Marieb College of Nursing alumna Martha A.Q. Curley, PhD, RN, FAAN is one of six nurse leaders who were honored as Living Legends at the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) 50th-anniversary annual meeting in Washington, DC in October 2023.
The Academy designates a small group of nurse leaders as Living Legends each year in honor of their extraordinary, sustained contributions to the nursing profession, and to healthcare worldwide, throughout their careers.
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Dean Allison Vorderstrasse commented,
“The Living Legend Award is one of the highest honors that recognizes a nurse’s professional impact. We are so proud of our alumna Dr. Martha Curley and all of her accomplishments as a leader in pediatric nursing. It was especially heartwarming to hear her mention her former UMass instructor Dr. Ann Sheridan, whom she thanked publicly for supporting her during her educational journey."
Dr. Curley was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. She completed a Bachelor of Science at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst in 1985, a Master’s in Nursing from Yale University and a PhD from Boston College.
Dr. Curley is the Ruth M. Colket Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She is an international leader and premier clinical scientist in pediatric critical care. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (1998) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine (2016). She was inducted into the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2014.
Dr. Curley’s research focus on the nurse-patient-family relationship and whole person health has been recognized nationally and internationally for its contribution to improvements in standards of care and practice guidelines for critically ill pediatric patients and their families. Her work on the innovative Synergy Model, illustrated in her 2007 book, Synergy: The Unique Relationship Between Nurses and Patients, contributed to greater alignment of nurse competencies with patient characteristics and needs to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
In an interview for the UPenn Cornerstone blog, Dr. Curley said,
"I’m honored to have been nominated and selected for this designation by nurses whose leadership and contributions have advanced both nursing and healthcare. To receive this recognition for my life’s work reflects the generosity of the parents and children who participated in our clinical trials and my colleagues who taught me so much. The designation brings personal joy for a career well-lived!"