Anne Pithan

Anne Pithan serves as Assistant Professor and Faculty Chair in the Department of Nursing at the University of South Dakota's School of Health Sciences. With over 30 years of nursing practice and education experience, she holds certifications as Certified Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive (NE-BC), and Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse, alongside active South Dakota and Iowa RN licenses.

Her educational background includes:

• BS in Nursing, Augustana College (1987)
• Doctorate in Nursing specializing in organizational leadership, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice

Dr. Pithan's research integrates caring and compassion across nursing domains while advancing student outcomes and organizational leadership. Her work bridges clinical practice with education through evidence-based frameworks, particularly focusing on palliative care innovation and global nursing competency development. Current projects emphasize practical implementation of compassionate care models in diverse healthcare settings.

Her 2024 publications reveal a strong focus on community-engaged palliative care solutions, featuring scoping reviews on health worker integration and pragmatic trials of ECHO-model mentoring systems. These works demonstrate consistent methodology in translating research into rural healthcare applications, with emphasis on workforce development and accessible end-of-life care models.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Student-selected keynote speaker for USD 2019 and 2018 graduations
• Candidate for Unitypoint Health St. Luke's Employee of the Year (2017)

Major research support includes:

• SBIRT implementation grant for pre-licensure nursing students (South Dakota Department of Social Services, 2022)
• Bush Foundation Palliative Care Grant (2020-present)
• Moshi Tanzania-South Dakota Rural Nursing Exchange (Global Rural Nursing Exchange Network)

Her advising emphasizes leadership development and evidence-based practice implementation across nursing curricula.

She directs the Global Rural Nursing Exchange Network and leads the Moshi Tanzania-South Dakota Rural Community Nursing Programme, building international capacity for rural healthcare delivery through structured faculty-student exchanges and community-based practice initiatives.