Patricia A. Sharpnack, dean of the Breen School of Nursing at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, has been selected to receive the Elaine Ellibee Award from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. One of the council’s highest honors, the award is given to a current or recent president of a state board of nursing who has demonstrated leadership as a state board president and leadership in making significant contributions to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Dr. Sharpnack was appointed to the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) by Governor John Kasich in 2014 and is now serving a second appointed term. She was elected president by fellow OBN members for three terms, the last ending in December 2019.
“I am extremely touched, humbled. and thrilled to have been selected for this award. It is truly an honor,” said Dr. Sharpnack. “I have greatly appreciated my work with the OBN and NCSBN and am blessed to have had the opportunity to learn so much from both organizations.”
Dr. Sharpnack earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ursuline College. She holds a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Akron, and a doctor of nursing practice degree from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.