Kathy Dracup: Distinguished Alum Gets More Recognition

In 2009, Kathy Dracup was selected as one of the 60 who made a difference for the UCLA School of Nursing. In 2014, she was named a Living legend by the American Academy of Nursing.

And now – in 2015 – Dracup has been selected to receive the UCLA Award for Professional Achievement. She was honored alongside other amazing awardees, including former Congressman Henry Waxman, at Bruin Alumni Day this past May 16.

The awards tradition, which began in 1946, pays tribute to alumni who show outstanding achievement in their professional fields and whose contributions to society demonstrate a commitment to excellence. The UCLA Awards are bestowed by the UCLA Alumni Association.

Dracup is an educator and researcher with almost 50 years of experience in cardiovascular nursing and research in the care of patients with heart disease. Because of her advocacy and research, the quality of life of patients with heart disease and their families have improved dramatically. She was the first nurse researcher to look at letting patient’s families in to the ICU as a critical component of their recovery. For 10 years, she served as Dean of the School of Nursing at UCSF, which was the #1 school of nursing during her tenure. She has received numerous awards for her work on the treatment of heart failure including the Heart Failure Society of America Lifetime Achievement Award. She also is the only nurse to receive the Eugene Braunwald Award for Academic Mentorship from the American Heart Association, one of its highest honors. This award recognizes an individual whose academic career includes a long-term record of successful mentoring of promising young academicians.

For the Living Legend Award, one of her nominators and mentees said “few have done so much for so long in such a generous way and she’s not done yet. She’s on the Institute of Medicine, she contributes in the policy arena, and she is a visiting professor all over the world.” Kathy is a role model because of “her incredible listening skills, she uses optimism, patience, graciousness and generosity of spirit to mentor hundreds of cardiovascular and critical care nurses.”

Dracup joins fellow nursing alum, Sister Callista Roy, who received the Professional Achievement Award in 2014.