The American National Standards Institute mourns the passing of Dr. Barbara L. Nichols, DL(h), DSc(h), PedD(h), MSN, RN, FAAN, a trailblazing nurse leader and executive, tireless voice for broad participation in standards, and former ANSI Board member. The Institute extends its deepest condolences to her family, former colleagues, and friends as she is remembered for the breadth of her influence.
Barbara was a compassionate, steadfast voice for the nursing community. She served in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and made history as the first Black president of the American Nurses Association, serving from 1978 to 1982—a milestone that marked not only her own achievement but the path she opened for generations of nurses.
As chief executive officer of CGFNS International—now TruMerit—from 1999 to 2011, Barbara guided the organization through a defining period of growth and helped establish rigorous standards for evaluating the credentials of internationally educated healthcare professionals.
Barbara was also an active and influential ANSI Board member for six years who championed representation of all groups and stakeholders in standards development. She served on the Institute’s Guidelines Writing Committee, Appeals Board, Conformity Assessment Policy Committee, and Personnel Certification Accreditation Committee.
She shared her knowledge to help educate others, authoring and editing more than 200 publications on nursing and healthcare delivery. She was named as an American Academy of Nursing Living Legend in 2010, inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame in 2022, and recognized as an Inaugural Luminary Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing in 2024.
“Barbara brought to the ANSI Board high levels of energy and integrity. She was a staunch advocate for the nursing industry and for the importance of reaching out broadly to communities within our society that were not currently engaged with the standardization process,” said Fran Schrotter, ANSI senior vice president and chief operating officer. “She truly made a difference, and her memory lives on in the global community of healthcare professionals whose careers were shaped by her leadership.”
