Dianna Sorenson received an honorable mention for the Clinical Nurse Leader Educator Award presented by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Sioux City, IA – Dianna Sorenson, professor of nursing in Morningside College’s Nylen School of Nursing, received an honorable mention for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Educator Award presented by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The CNL Educator Award is a national award that recognizes an educator for innovative and outstanding preparation of Clinical Nurse Leaders and acknowledges the contributions of the educator to the field of nursing education.

Under Sorenson’s leadership, Morningside’s CNL program has been ranked among the best in the nation by RegisteredNursing.org, a nursing advocacy organization, and US News and World Report. “Dr. Sorenson was nominated for this award because she demonstrates innovation in her pedagogy to facilitate CNL development and translation into practice by pioneering a CNL distance mentor program to augment learning opportunities,” said the AACN in their recognition of her honorable mention.

Sorenson is a licensed Clinical Nurse Specialist and certified Clinical Nurse Leader. In her leadership role as CNL track coordinator for Morningside, she developed the program and spearheaded programmatic assessments and evaluations across the Master of Science in Nursing CNL program and Doctor of Nursing Practice Transformational Leadership program.

Sorenson came to Morningside in 2014 and specializes in mental health, healthcare administration, clinical research, interpersonal communication, and statistics. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at South Dakota State University, Master of Science in Nursing at Montana State University, Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, Master of Business Administration from the University of Sioux Falls, Clinical Nurse Specialist certification from Montana State University, and Clinical Nurse Leader certification from the Commission on Nurse Certification.

Morningside’s online Master of Science in Nursing: Clinical Nurse Leader track prepares graduates to be eligible for national certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader through the Commission on Nurse Certification. With flexible coursework schedules, supportive faculty, and opportunities for dynamic collaboration and networking, Morningside’s program is ready to help nurses take the next step in their career. Click here to learn more about Morningside’s graduate nursing program.

Graduate Nursing at Morningside