State Liaison Candidate
Campaign Message
I am honored to run for Maryland State Representative for AANP. With over 20 years of clinical experience in surgical critical care and as Track Director of the AG-ACNP DNP Program at Johns Hopkins, I bring a strong foundation in both practice and education. I ve served in leadership roles across academic and clinical settings, advocating for NP practice, quality improvement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. I understand the challenges NPs face staffing, administrative burden, and access to care and I m committed to representing your voice. I will advocate fiercely for Maryland NPs and the patients we serve. I respectfully ask for your vote.
Bio Sketch
Dr. Jessica Peters is an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, where she serves as Track Director for the Adult-Gerontological Acute Care DNP Program. She is also a practicing Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the Surgical Critical Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital, specializing in trauma, transplant, and surgical oncology. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Peters has seamlessly integrated academic leadership and frontline expertise. She earned her BSN from the University of Miami, MSN from the University of Maryland, and DNP and Nurse Educator Certificate from Johns Hopkins University. A dedicated educator and clinical leader, she has contributed to numerous professional organizations, including the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Peters has held advisory roles focused on advanced practice leadership, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. Her scholarship and presentations emphasize critical care outcomes, post-ICU transitions, and NP education. Committed to fostering expert clinical practice and innovative education, Dr. Peters continues to advocate for the advancement of the nurse practitioner role in both academic and health system settings.
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 greatest challenges facing nurse practitioners over the next decade is ensuring safety and sustainability in an increasingly strained and politicized healthcare environment. NPs face growing threats from inadequate staffing and overscheduling to job-related stress and difficulty onboarding especially in high-acuity settings like critical care. Additionally, NPs are burdened with navigating a profit-driven system that often prioritizes volume over quality, forcing them to spend excessive time justifying care through prior authorizations. The AANP must advocate for safe staffing ratios, reduce administrative barriers, and push for policies that protect both patient access and the well-being of NPs across all practice settings.
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 an expert clinician with over 20 years of experience in high-acuity critical care and as the Track Director of the AG-ACNP program, I bring a deep understanding of the intersection between clinical excellence and academic preparation. I ve led initiatives aligning didactic education with real-world clinical demands, ensuring graduates are practice-ready. My leadership on advisory panels and collaboration with healthcare systems have fostered successful academic-practice partnerships. One notable outcome was the development of a structured onboarding process for advanced practice providers, improving retention and clinical readiness demonstrating my ability to drive meaningful change across both educational and practice environments.
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 major challenge in fulfilling this role is navigating the conflicting priorities and diverse needs of NPs across varied practice environments and patient populations. No single provider can fully represent all perspectives; however, I plan to manage this by actively listening, engaging with colleagues across specialties, and seeking input from NPs in different settings throughout Maryland. Through open dialogue and collaboration, I will ensure that initiatives and advocacy efforts reflect the broad spectrum of practice and patient care realities. This inclusive approach will help me remain responsive, informed, and effective in supporting the professional needs of Maryland s NP community.
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?
A major challenge in fulfilling this role is effectively advocating for robust healthcare system support for NPs across diverse practice settings, especially as coverage changes threaten patient access to preventive and essential care. Navigating this evolving landscape requires strategic engagement with policy, collaboration across disciplines, and persistent advocacy at state and national levels. To manage this challenge, I will leverage my academic clinical experience, remain actively involved in legislative and advisory efforts, and work to amplify the voices of NPs in every setting ensuring that our role is clearly understood, valued, and supported in delivering high-quality, accessible care to all.