Jennifer Hayakawa

Jennifer Hayakawa, DNP, CNS, CNRN, CCRN, serves a one-year term as secretary on the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Board of Directors from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. She continues a three-year term as a director on the AACN board from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.

Hayakawa is director of nursing research and innovation at Rady Children’s Health, Orange County, California.

She has over 20 years of experience spanning clinical practice, education and research. Her current research interests are people-centered initiatives that enhance connection, belonging and well-being in healthcare settings. Hayakawa is dedicated to fostering scholarly inquiry and empowering nurses to integrate evidence-based practice into their work. Her early-career research interests included pediatric neuro assessment and the use of automated pupillometry in infants and children.

Her AACN volunteer service included Chapter Advisory Team (CAT) leader for Region 19 (California chapters), a senior reviewer for the Beacon award program, and a member of the AACN – AACN Certification Corporation Nominating Committee. She is past president and director at large for the Greater Long Beach Orange County Chapter.

Additional affiliations include membership in the Society of Pediatric Nurses and the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL).

She received The DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence (2007), the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses’ JNN Writing Excellence Award (2009), ACNL Excellence in Nursing Research award (2018), ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare and Entertainment Industry Foundation Grant Award (2022), and AACN’s Research Poster Award (2022). She was recognized as a KNX News Hero in 2026.

Hayakawa earned a DNP, healthcare systems leadership, at University of San Francisco, and an MSN, parent-child clinical nurse specialist (magna cum laude), from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She also earned a BA in human development from University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla.

On a personal note, she has nearly 100 varieties of rare fruit growing in her yard!