April Kapu DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN

Dr. April Kapu is the president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP). She has 30 years of experience in health care and 18 years as an acute care nurse practitioner. Dr. Kapu has committed her career to advancing NP care and increasing access to NP care across all settings. Currently, she is associate dean for clinical and community partnerships at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, with oversight for several nurse-led community practices. Additionally, Dr. Kapu is a professor of nursing and teaches in Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Prior to her role as dean, she served as associate chief nursing officer for advanced practice nursing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. There, she led as a health system nursing executive, establishing innovative, high-quality and value-driven advanced practice health care services. Dr. Kapu is frequently consulted for her expertise in advanced practice leadership and the development of health system advanced practice infrastructure. She has presented in many national and international forums, has authored chapters in advanced practice nursing textbooks, and published manuscripts in numerous peer-reviewed nursing and medical journals. She holds several professional roles including Fellow for the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Fellow for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and Fellow for the American Academy of Nursing. Prior to being elected as president of AANP, Dr. Kapu served as Region 4 Director and Tennessee State Representative. She is an active member of the Tennessee Nurses Association, served as past chair for the Tennessee Government Affairs Committee and Tennessee APRN Committee, and she represented Tennessee NPs on the Tennessee governor’s special commission focused on pain and addiction treatment education. Dr. Kapu has received several awards, including Vanderbilt’s “Transformational Nurse Leader of the Year,” Tennessee Hospital Association’s “Nurse of Clinical Distinction,” and most recently, named among Modern Healthcare's "50 Most Influential Clinical Executives." Dr. Kapu holds both a master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.