Pace University nursing professor Joanne Singleton, PhD, RN, was chosen as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing for her interprofessional education, practice in health care professions, and Canines Assisting in Health last Tuesday.

With more than 2,700 members, American Academy of Nursing serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy, practice, and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership.

Founder and leader of Canines Assisting in Health (CAsH), Singleton has helped individuals with disabilities.

“In 2016, I envisioned and implemented a plan for interprofessional education, practice, and research policy, and founded CAsH,” Singleton said.

“My nursing practice embraces an interprofessional model and my career is marked by service, advocacy, practice, research, and education,” Singleton added.

Professor Spirit, Singleton’s service dog, is her teaching, practice, and research partner. They have helped thousands of healthcare professionals, students, individuals with disabilities, and community members in reducing stress,

“I am teamed with a service dog, who’s my CAsH teaching and practicing partner,” Singleton said. “Professor Spirit is the first canine faculty at Pace with his own position and faculty ID. He’s with me 24/7 teaches me about the challenges faced by service dog teams in public and in receiving healthcare.”

CAsH project did not stop at Pace. Singleton’s work has been peer reviewed, invited to national workshops, classes, presentations, publications, mainstream media coverages, and public service announcements.

“The context and impact of CAsH continues to expand, as I develop and initiate CAsH initiatives nationally,” Singleton added.

The evidence-based stress reduction practice, Pawns & Breathe ®, has also national impact. “Pawns and Breathe ® is an evidence-based stress reduction intervention that I developed,” Singleton said. “This program will certify ADI certified representatives to deliver this to their clients.”

Singleton, a registered nurse and certified family nurse practioner, joined Pace in 1996. She is a nursing professor at College of Health Professions, Lienhard School of Business and associate professor at SUNY downstate.

Singleton will officially be named as a fellow at American Academy of Nursing on Oct. 29-31 in a virtual ceremony.