Nursing educator earns award for contribution to nephrology nursing

Wednesday, Jun 23, 2021

Associate Professor Dr. Mary Schira has been awarded the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to ANNA Award from the American Nephrology Nurses Association for her contribution to nephrology nursing. She is being honored for her efforts to educate and promote professional development related to kidney disease.

Dr. Schira was first introduced to the field of nephrology when she took her first job as a registered nurse in a hospital dialysis unit. She says that her love for physiology inspired her to learn more about chronic kidney disease.

“It’s a body system that affects every other body system,” says Schira. “Learning about it was so engaging and so challenging, that I just kept going.”

Advancements in dialysis, kidney transplants, and other therapies have resulted in longer life expectancy for patients with kidney disease. Treatment now includes a greater emphasis on the emotional impact and quality of life of patients who live with the disease.

“We now look at incorporating those therapies into your life, so that your life isn’t just about treating your disease, your life is about living your life,” says Schira. “I taught patients how to do home dialysis – when we could say ‘you’re on your own, you’re doing great, see you in a week,’ that was very special to me, because it meant that they had reached a level of independence that they didn’t think was possible.”

Dr. Schira has been involved with ANNA since 1984 and has been a nephrology nurse for over 40 years. She is a past member of the ANNA scholarship and awards committee, the Journal Editorial Board and serves as chair of the conferences committee. She currently teaches in the Nurse Practitioner and DNP programs at UTA.

She says that the organization has encouraged her participation in nephrology nursing education.

“I feel very strongly that when there’s a specialty organization available that can help me grow and develop as a nurse, and as a faculty, that I want to be a part of that organization. And that’s what ANNA really helped me do.”

The American Nephrology Nurses Association is a professional association with a membership of over 8,000 registered nurses and health care professionals who work in nephrology. Each year, the Outstanding Contribution to ANNA award is given to one nephrology nurse who has made outstanding contributions to the goals of ANNA.

– Written by Paul Bennett, College of Nursing and Health Innovation