Orthopedic Nurse Leader to Serve on National Executive Board

The National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) has elected Franz Henryk Vergara, PhD, DNP, RN, ONC, CCM to the Executive Board as Director.

In April 2021 it was announced that Franz Henryk Vergara, PhD, DNP, RN, ONC, CCM, who serves as Clinical Nurse Director at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, has been elected to the 2021–2022 Executive Board of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON). In his role, Dr. Vergara will serve as a Director and will work with the Board to provide strategy and direction to meet the needs of its membership.

“I have dedicated my nursing career to orthopedic nursing, covering the domains of nursing practice/administration, education, and research. I am planning to harness my experience and collaborators to move forward the mission and vision of NAON,” stated Dr. Vergara.

Dr. Vergara has been in nursing for over eighteen years and has been certified in Orthopedics since 2008. He has been an active member of NAON since 2007, and previously served on various committees, including the NAON Evidence-Based Practice Research Unit. Most recently, he served as chair of the NAON Education Committee. He also currently serves as a peer reviewer for NAON’s Orthopaedic Nursing Journal. Dr. Vergara has been a frequent presenter at NAON’s Annual Congress since 2016.

In addition, he has been involved with a nonprofit community organization in his local area, the Howard County Striders, with the primary goal of enhancing musculoskeletal health in Columbia, Maryland.

Dr. Vergara has continually demonstrated a dedication to professional development (his own and that of his fellow nursing professionals) throughout his career and national multidisciplinary collaborations.