Bachelor of Science:  Nursing, 1974 to 1978
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING
and the UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans, Louisiana

License:  Registered Nurse, State of Louisiana, 1978 

University of New Orleans:  Writing courses (1995-2000)
New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts and Delgado Community College -

Art Courses (1992-1995)
Mediation Training – 2000
Facilitation Training –Facilitative Leadership Institute 2004-2005      

HONORS
American Journal of Nursing - Book of the Year Award in the category of Professional Development and Issues – Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues in Nursing 2004

Great 100 Nurses for New Orleans 2003

Nurse Of the Year 2002 – Notable Mention – Nursing Spectrum

Women of the Year 2001 - City Business

Listed in Who's Who Worldwide

Listed in Who’s Who in American Women

Listed in Who's Who in American Nursing

Listed in Who's Who in Practicing Attorneys

Listed in Who’s Who in the South and Southwest

Past President of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (1993) and the Foundation (1994-1996).

American Council for Career Women Achievers '89 Nominee

Chosen as First Alternate for Young Career Women of 1983 by the New Orleans         Business and Professional Women's Club

University of New Orleans Decennial Scholarship Award

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Board of Directors - National League for Nursing (2006-2008)President – Louisiana State Nurses Association Relief Fund (2005-2007)

President  - New Orleans District Nurses Association (2004 - 2006)Louisiana State Nurse Association 2005 – Secretary (2005 – 2006)

President  - The American Association of Nurse Attorneys and the Foundation1993-1995 and a member

American Association of Legal Nurse ConsultantsSigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society

American Nurses Association

National Association of Women Business Owners

National Nurses in Business Association

International Association of Facilitators

Louisiana and New Orleans Bar Associations

 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

United Cerebral Palsy of New Orleans - Committee member since 2001 and Co-chair of 2001 and 2002 UCP Golf Extravaganza and Fund Raiser.

United Cerebral Palsy Gala – Co-chair 2000.

Presenter for national videotapes for patients and nurses entitled:  Advance Directives:  What You Need to Know, produced by Long Term Care Network, Primedia Workplace Learning, Health & Sciences Television Network, 1999.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Nurse attorney facilitator and mediator practicing in the fields of medical negligence and nursing disciplinary actions.  National educator, author, and speaker on legal and ethical issues in healthcare.  Also, presents national seminars on mediation, facilitation, and conflict management for healthcare professionals.

President / Co-Founder of Nurse Attorney Institute, LLC. Provides educational and consultant services to healthcare providers on legal and ethical topics, conflict management, and creates legal nurse consulting programs, seminars, training, and resource materials.

Educator – In 2002 created a Legal Nurse Consultant Program (10 month program) for L. S. U. School of Nursing in New Orleans and Dallas.

Faculty for the Legal Nurse Consultant Program

Facilitator – Tops Trained facilitator.  Member of the Facilitative Leadership Institute.

National speaker for groups such as Contemporary Forums, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, Louisiana State Nurses Association, National Nurses in Business Association, hospitals, and long-term care facilities across the country.

Adjunct Faculty L. S. U. School of Nursing since 1990.

Faculty – Legal/ Ethical Issues Course Loyola School of Nursing 2002-2003.

Editor/Contributing Author of the nursing textbook entitled Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues in Nursing 2^nd Edition, F. A. Davis Co., Philadelphia, 1994, 2004. 

Editor/Contributing Author of the allied health textbook entitled Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Occupations, W. B. Saunders Publishing Co., St. Louis, 2002.

National Council for State Boards of Nursing Medical/Legal Content Expert for an Internet program on Disciplinary Actions - August 2002.

National Council for State Boards of Nursing Medical/Legal Content Expert for an Internet program on Medication Errors – 2003.

Contributor of legal content to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary for the editions published in 1991, 1995, 2001, and 2004, F.A.Davis Company.

American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants – Contributor to Core Curriculum – Chapter 1 The Law, Standards of Care, and Liability Issues. Legal Nurse Consulting Principles and Practice, 1^st and 2^nd editions, 1997, 2003.

Presenter and Content Expert for Videotape – Primedia: “Legal and Ethical Issues in Long-Term Care”, May 2002.

Content Expert for Legal and Ethical Videotape Series for Mosby Publishing Company – 1997.

Videotape 1 – “Patient Self Determination”

Videotape 2 – “The Nurse’s Rights as an Employee”

Videotape 3 – “Introduction to Legal Issues”

Videotape 4 – “Legal Aspects of Documentation and Terminology”

Videotape 5 – “Minimizing Legal Liability”

Videotape 6 – “Ethical Dilemmas and Decision Making”

National League for Nursing Content Expert for Videotape entitled, “Nursing Ethics and the Law”.

Contributing author for textbooks and articles with the following publishers including, but not limited to:  Lawyers and Judges Publishing, Mosby Publishing, Vista Publishing, American Health Consultants, Jones & Bartlett and LNC Resource.

The American Association of Nurse Attorney’s - Model Curriculum (1^st and 2nd edition) Committee Member.

Under contract with F. A. Davis Company for a book entitled Legal and Ethical Issues for Nursing Educators to be published in 2006.

PUBLICATIONS
1. Aiken, Tonia D., Louisiana Statutes Affecting Nursing Practice.  Professional Education Systems, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1986.

2. Aiken, Tonia D., et al.  Medical Malpractice in Louisiana.  National Business Institute, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1987.3. Aiken, Tonia D., "Registered Care Technologists:  A Possible Solution or Added Liability?"  Medical Malpractice Law & Strategy, New York, Leader Publications, 1988.

4. Aiken, Tonia D., 1988.  Louisiana Statutes Affecting Nursing

Practice.  Professional Education Systems, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 1988

5. Aiken, Tonia D., et al.  Legal Issues in Community Home Health Nursing in Louisiana.  Professional Education Systems, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1998

6. Aiken, Tonia D., 1990.  Louisiana Statutes Affecting Nursing Practice,   Professional Education Systems, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 1990.

7. Aiken, Tonia and Calloway, Sue, Arkansas Statutes Affecting Nursing Practice, Professional Education Systems, Inc., Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 1990.

8. Aiken, Tonia, "The OR Supervisor's Responsibilities in Reducing Liability".  AORN Vol. 54, No. 1 (July, 1991).9. Aiken, Tonia,  "Lobbying and What Nurses Can Do To Promote Legislation".  AORN, Vol. 54, No. 2 (August, 1991).10. Aiken, Tonia D., NCLEX-PN Review, Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice.  Contributing Author.  F. A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, 1994, (2nd Ed., 2003).

11. Aiken, Tonia D., Author of a Chapter on Legal Issues of the Elderly.  F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, 1994.12.  Aiken, Tonia D.,  "What Nurses Need to Know About Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues".  Revolution - The Journal of Nurse Empowerment.  (Summer 1994).

13. Aiken, Tonia, "What Every Nurse Needs To Know About Depositions".  Issues and Trends, (July 1995).

14.  Aiken, Tonia.  “ Depositions:  What You Need to Know”, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. J Leg Nurse Cons, October 1995 - Vol. 6, Number: 4  

15. Aiken, Tonia D., NCLEX - RN Review 2nd Edition, Legal Dimensions.  Contributing Author.  F. A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, 1996.

16. Aiken, Tonia. Contributor to Nursing Malpractice, Chapter 14.  “The Plaintiff Attorney’s Perspective.” Tuscon:  Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company, 1996 and 2001.

17.  Aiken, Tonia.  Contributor to Current Issues in Nursing, 6th Ed., Ch. 87, “Sexual Harassment.”  University of Iowa, June 2000.

18. Aiken, Tonia.  Contributor to End of Life Nursing Care. “ Legal and Ethical Issues and Advance Directives”. Jones & Bartlett, Inc. Sudbury, Mass, 2001.

19. Aiken, Tonia, et al.  “The Basics of Alternative Dispute Resolution”.   Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Occupations.  Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Publishing Company, 2001.

20. Aiken, Tonia. Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues in Nursing 2^nd Edition, F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, 1994, 2004.

21. Under contract with F.A. Davis to write a textbook and resource book entitled Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing Education to be published in 2006.

Tonia D. Aiken, RN, BSN, JD is President and co-owner of Nurse Attorney Institute, LLC, a companyproviding education and consultation services to healthcare providers. Her company created a Legal Nurse Consulting Program with LSU School of Nursing to provide this educational program to nurses. She has extensive experience in medical malpractice litigation and healthcare issues. She is a past president of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) and the Foundation.  Tonia is a nationally recognized author, speaker, educator, facilitator, mediator, adjunct professor, and consultant.

Tonia is also the editor and a contributing author of Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues in Nursing, 2^nd Edition and Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Occupations, which are textbooks and resource books for health professionals.

She is a contributor to Nursing Ethics and the Law, a video from the National          League for Nursing.

She served as a medical-legal consultant to Mosby Publishing Company for a videotape series on legal and ethical issues in nursing.

She is a contributor to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.

Tonia is also a presenter in two national videotapes for patients and nurses entitled: (1) Advance Directives:  What You Need to Know, and (2) Advance Directives:  What the Healthcare Provider Needs to Know, produced by Long Term Care Network.

Her honors include Who’s Who in American Nursing, Who’s Who in Practicing Attorneys, Who’s Who in American Woman, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest and Who’s Who Worldwide.