Ada K. Jacox, PhD, RN, FAAN
Virginia Nurses Association
2010 Inductee
The lifelong and continuing contributions of Ada K. Jacox span four decades and three major areas: pain management; research and scholarship; and leadership in policy development and professional organizations.
Pain management: For over 45 years, her contribution to the management of pain has, undoubtedly, relieved the pain and suffering of incalculable numbers of patients. Dr. Jacox is well recognized for the seminal role she has played in this area of nursing and health care practice.
Research and scholarship: Dr. Jacox has served as the principal investigator for numerous research grants and scientific activities. She is the author and co-author of numerous books and monographs reporting her research findings. Her research continues to inform public policy and guide practice.
Leadership: Dr. Jacox’s leadership on the ANA Board of Directors as first vice-president is one highlight of her significant and sustained involvement in professional nursing organizations. She is also a recipient of ANA’s Shirley Titus Award, demonstrating her work to promote the economic and general welfare of RNs.
Her leadership in mobilizing nurses and developing a national policy direction for funding nursing research played a significant role in the establishment of the National Center for Nursing Research, now known as the National Institute of Nursing Research.
Dr. Jacox has inspired the professional lives of countless registered nurses and nursing students. An educator for more than 40 years, she is currently a professor and research consultant at the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She has also been a professor of nursing at Wayne State University, The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, the University of Colorado, the University of Iowa and the University of Kansas.