Dr. Bernadette Melnyk is Vice President for Health Promotion and Chief Wellness Officer at The Ohio State University. She is recognized globally for her expertise in evidence-based practice (EBP), child and adolescent mental health, clinician well-being, and intervention research as well as her innovative approaches to population health and well-being. Dr. Melnyk is editor of 7 books, has more than 540 publications and over $36 million dollars of sponsored funding from federal agencies and foundations. She is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing that has recognized her three times as an Edge Runner, the National Academies of Practice, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Melnyk served a four-year term on the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the National Advisory Council for the National Institute for Nursing Research, and the Behavioral Health Standing Committee of the National Quality Forum.
Applications for registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurse licensure too often contribute to this stigma and prevent nurses struggling with mental health issues from getting needed help.