Dr. Vanessa Abacan is a Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared Clinical Nurse Specialist, speaker, and founder of Heartfold Healing LLC, a healthcare culture diagnostics company. She is President-Elect of the Texas Clinical Nurse Specialists NACNS Affiliate, the 2025 NANN APRN Rising Star, and a recipient of the 2023 Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Award. Dr. Abacan serves as an Associate Editor for the JBI Evidence Implementation journal, adjunct faculty at UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing, and a Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation Ambassador. A survivor of workplace bullying as a nurse leader, her clinical and research focus is on nursing culture measurement, workplace bullying, retention, and the lived experience of frontline nurses. She is the author of a book titled Choosing Me, an evidence-based guided reflection book for nurses navigating career disruption, identity rupture, moral injury, and trauma. She helps nurses and leaders address culture, moral injury, and workforce sustainability. She is also a nurse entrepreneur and a fervent CNS advocate, running an apparel and accessory line dedicated to spreading awareness of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role.

Editorial Process

As the leading educational website for nurses by nurses, Nurse.org is committed to editorial integrity and data-driven analysis. To ensure our content is reliable, trustworthy, and up-to-date, we've developed a rigorous editorial process that includes unbiased program rankings, licensed nurse writers, and a thorough content review process. Read more about our editorial process.