Annmarie Muñana, DNP, MSN, MJ, RN, brings together her love of nursing and passion for education, law, and ethics to advance global nursing practice, shape policy, and influence regulatory oversight. With a dual background in nursing and law, she addresses complex issues at the intersection of healthcare, education, ethics, policy, and patient rights.
Dr. Muñana received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from Georgetown University. She obtained her Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago, School of Law, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from the University of San Francisco. To support her doctoral nursing education, Dr. Muñana was the recipient of the Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) Philip D. Raso Scholarship for 2021-2022. Since that time, she has remained committed to the NEF mission by contributing to the scholarship funds and participating in the scholarship review process, ultimately joining the NEF Board in 2024.
With expertise in law and ethics, she served as a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Center for Ethics and Human Rights Advisory Board, and supported the process to translate the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (Code) into Spanish. As part of the Expert Panel for the 2025 revisions to the Code, Dr. Muñana contributed to shaping national ethical standards and led the revisions of Provision 8 – Collaborative Relationships.
Over the past decade, Dr. Muñana has worked with national universities providing regulatory and accreditation leadership, oversight, and guidance for the undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing, public health, physician assistant, and social work. Since entering academia, she has held both dean and faculty roles, as well as national leadership roles.
With expertise in Spanish language and culture, as faculty and international nursing program leader, Dr. Muñana has led nursing students to Spain to attend nursing courses and clinicals. This allowed them to learn and experience nursing, healthcare, ethics, and policy in Spain and the E.U.
During the pandemic, Dr. Muñana was appointed as a member of the Chicago Department of Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group, comprised of nationally recognized experts in vaccines, infectious diseases, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, and public health. The group’s charge was to independently evaluate and advise on the scientific and regulatory review of the FDA’s process for Emergency Use Authorization of COVID-19 vaccines. It was Dr. Muñana’s nursing, regulatory affairs, ethics, and clinical research expertise that uniquely qualified her for this appointment; however, it was her nursing voice that provided a distinct perspective and valuable contribution to the group’s work.
Dr. Muñana’s commitment to the profession informs her vision of a diverse nursing and healthcare workforce that is prepared to meet the needs of the complex and evolving global healthcare landscape. As a healthcare leader with a global perspective, Dr. Muñana is focused on supporting policy and regulatory efforts to advance the profession, transform nursing education, and mentor the next generation of leaders – all to ultimately impact the healthcare and well-being of our communities.