State Liaison Candidate
Campaign Message
With over a decade of clinical and academic experience, I bring a strong foundation in NP practice, education, and advocacy. I actively serve Mississippi through family and orthopedic practice. I serve as MSN Program Coordinator and teach across graduate programs, empowering the next generation of NPs. My role as Vice-President of the Mississippi Nurses Association offers a platform for advocacy across the state. I have coordinated statewide educational efforts, mentored NP students, and represented NP priorities at local, state, and national levels. I am committed to promoting the AANP mission and ensuring our profession s voice is heard at every level.
Bio Sketch
Dr. Alena Groves, DNP, FNP-C, ONP-C is a dedicated nurse practitioner and academic leader with over 25 years of nursing experience. She is committed to advancing healthcare through education, advocacy, and clinical excellence. Dr. Groves currently serves as a Professor and MSN Coordinator in the Mississippi University for Women where she prepares future nurse practitioners through innovative curriculum development and mentorship. She continues to practice in both primary care and orthopedic settings, offering improved access to care for those in rural, underserved communities of Mississippi. Dr. Groves clinical experience informs her teaching and research interests, which include preventative health, acute and chronic disease management, health policy, and informatics. She has contributed to healthcare advocacy initiatives and actively participates in professional organizations, including serving as Vice-President for the Mississippi Nurses Association. She has received numerous accolades for her work, including awards for recognition in excellence in teaching, mentorship, scholarly achievement, and service. Her scholarly work includes presentations on osteoporosis, metabolic disease, and nursing leadership. She is known for integrating compassion, evidence-based practice, and innovation into both clinical and academic settings, inspiring the next generation of nurse leaders.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing NPs in the delivery of health care over the next decade? How should AANP address this issue to support NPs and the populations they serve?
One of the biggest challenges facing Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in the delivery of is achieving full and consistent scope of practice authority. Restrictive state laws continue to hinder the ability of NPs to fully serve patients, particularly in rural and underserved communities. These regulatory restrictions not only limit access to care but also undermine workforce efficiency, innovation in care, and health equity. Addressing this challenge requires a unified national strategy, advocacy, and the cultivation of nurse practitioner leaders at every level of policy and practice.
Describe, in detail, leadership and other professional skills that you will bring to AANP and provide at least one initiative or outcome that occurred because of these skills.
As a seasoned nurse practitioner, educator, and leader, I bring skills such as clinical innovation, mentorship, and policy advocacy to AANP. As Vice-President of MNA, I have led multiple initiatives to advance NP practice. I am committed to advancing the role of nurse practitioners and improving access to high-quality, evidence-based care as evident by my development of such initiatives as an Osteoporosis Clinic and an Employee-Family Health Clinic. As a professor, I mentor graduate students and guide research and clinical development projects, helping shape the next generation of advanced practice nurses.
Identify one major challenge that could impact your ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position you are seeking. How do you plan to manage this challenge to be successful?
One challenge that could impact my ability to fulfill the responsibilities of this position is balancing time commitments across my clinical, academic, and leadership roles. As a practicing nurse practitioner, graduate program coordinator, and active member of multiple professional organizations, maintaining balance for each responsibility requires strategic planning and prioritization. I rely on strong organizational and leadership skills. I mentor and empower colleagues and students, fostering shared leadership and ensuring continuity. I am committed to open, transparent communication. I regularly evaluate workload capacity and adjust commitments as needed. This allows me to remain engaged, responsive, and effective in each role.
AANP’s mission is to empower all NPs to advance accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care for diverse communities through practice, education, advocacy, research, and leadership. If elected, how do you propose to advance AANP's mission and strategic plan?
My career has been dedicated to improving access to high-quality healthcare through advanced practice nursing, as reflected in my dual roles as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a leader in nursing education. I will continue to prioritize initiatives that support health equity and nurse practitioner full scope of practice. My work in curriculum development, mentoring, and preceptorship prepares the next generation of nurse practitioners to meet evolving healthcare challenges. I am committed to advocacy at local and national levels, with a vision to empower nurse practitioners to serve as practice change agents at all levels of policy and practice.