Elizabeth Czekanski, DNP, MS, RN-BC, NE-BC, VHA-CM has over 30 years of nursing practice experience and joined the VA Pittsburgh Health System in 2006 as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Manager. Before joining the VA, she worked for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as a staff nurse and multi-unit manager of inpatient psychiatry and chemical dependency units contributing to her 18 years’ experience as a nurse manager managing inpatient psychiatric units. Dr. Czekanski has also worked as the Director of a residential program, as an independent legal nurse consultant, and since 2008 as Adjunct Faculty at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, teaching Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Carlow University and holds two ANCC Board Certifications as a Nurse Executive and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse and is also certified as a VHA certified mentor. Dr. Czekanski is a graduate of the VA Network Executive Healthcare Leadership Institute. She currently serves as the Office of Nursing Services national Mental Health Clinical Nurse Advisor and has worked with other national program offices for the past 11 years to address national policy and practice for safe mental health nursing and inpatient psychiatric care.