Jeff Solheim Takes Office as Emergency Nurses Association President

DES PLAINES, Ill. – The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) today announced Jeff Solheim, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CFRN, FAEN, FAAN, as president of the premier emergency nursing organization representing more than 42,000 members worldwide. During his one-year term as ENA president, Solheim will oversee the Board of Directors and serve as ENA’s official representative and spokesperson.

Solheim’s career in emergency nursing includes experience as a staff nurse, charge nurse, manager, director, educator, trauma coordinator, flight nurse and state surveyor. He founded Solheim Enterprises which provides nursing education, educational resources and consulting services. Solheim is the Founder and Emeritus Executive Director of a humanitarian medical organization which deploys medical teams around the world to provide care to tens of thousands of people every year.

Since joining ENA in March 1997, Solheim has served at the local, state, national and international level as a chapter founder and president, state president and pediatric/trauma chairperson at the state level for many years. He also served as an instructor and faculty for ENA’s two signature courses – Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC).

As president, Solheim’s goal is to bring the world of emergency nursing together to share ideas and commonalities through cultural exchange trips meant to develop closer ties with international counterparts. He believes ENA can learn as much from its overseas peers as they would from ENA.

Solheim will lead a new “Follow the Flame” initiative in 2018 to show ENA’s expansive reach and the excellent work ENA members do every day. Members will pass a lantern, a nod to Florence Nightingale, around local and regional events throughout the year. Each ENA state council will receive a lantern and are encouraged to take pictures and share stories about their lantern’s travels on social media. Follow the lanterns on social media using #FollowTheFlame.

ENA’s new Board of Directors also took office today. The Board is the official governing body of ENA responsible for managing the Association’s affairs. They maintain and update ENA’s mission, vision and goals through strategic planning, guide the Association, and serve as board liaisons to states as assigned.

Members of the 2018 ENA Board of Directors are:      
President: Jeff Solheim, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CFRN, FAEN, FAAN

President-elect: Patricia Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN

Secretary/Treasurer: Mike Hastings, MSN, RN, CEN

Directors:
Chris Dellinger, MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN
Ellen “Ellie” H. Encapera, RN, CEN
Gordon Lee Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, CEN, CNE, CPEN, PHCNS-BC, FAEN, FAAN
Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C
Karla Nygren, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, TCRN, CCRN, CPN
Ron Kraus, MSN, RN, CEN, ACNS-BC
Maureen Curtis Cooper, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, FAEN      

Immediate Past President: Karen K. Wiley, MSN, RN, CEN      

Executive Director: Nancy MacRae, MS