Frank Hicks PhD, RN, CNE
Professor of Adult Health & Gerontological Nursing, Associate Dean of Academic Programs & Affairs at Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago
Frank D. Hicks, PhD, RN, CNE, is Professor of Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing and Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Affairs at Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a BSN from Indiana University and an MS and PhD in Nursing Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in nursing and neurobehavior at the University of Michigan and a graduate certificate in Education Law from Indiana University’s School of Education.
He has practiced as a staff nurse, charge nurse, assistant head nurse, preceptor, and Clinical Nurse Specialist in adult critical care units. Dr. Hicks has had academic appointments at Indiana University Northwest, Loyola University Chicago, Carthage College, and Rush University College of Nursing.
Dr. Hicks’ research areas have focused on the decision-making processes of providers and patients. He has also published papers on philosophy science in nursing and aspects of theory development. He completed research examining the benefits of simulation vs. clinical experience in nursing students and the long-term outcomes of nurse residency programs. His current scholarly focus is on aspects of nursing program outcomes evaluation
While at Rush, as assistant dean for academic affairs, Hicks led the development and implementation of the pre-licensure and post licensure Clinical Nurse Leader master’s degree programs and was involved in early efforts to produce a certification examination for the Clinical Nurse Leader. He also established the Center for Excellence in Nursing Education Innovation and Scholarship to support educational excellence and innovation among the faculty. Dr. Hicks was the inaugural director of the BSN and RN-BSN programs at Carthage College, where in addition to leading the program through its successful initial accreditation visit, he established an undergraduate Fellowship in Population health, and successfully established and promoted opportunities for undergraduate research. Most recently, at Rush University, he led the development of a nurse educator certificate program, whose pedagogical focus will be educating students through a culturally responsive teaching lens.
For over 20 years, he has been recognized as an excellent teacher, having won many awards as an educator. He was selected as a fellow for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership for Academic Nursing program (2005-2006), and he is an alumnus of the AACN-Wharton Executive Leadership Fellows program (2016-2017) and Illinois Board of Higher Education Nursing Education Fellow program (2014).
Dr. Hicks has served on the Executive Board of the Illinois Colleges of Nursing, as vice chair and chair, a member of the Education Standards and Report Review Committee for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is a team leader and visitor for the CCNE accreditation process. He also serves as vice chair of the Certified Nurse Educator Examination Board of Commissioners and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Nursing Education.
His areas of expertise include program accreditation and program
development and evaluation (particularly related to graduate entry
programs), having provided consultation to schools considering a
graduate entry program, or undergoing accreditation.