Dr. Anne P. Manton, PhD. RN, PMHNP-BC, FAEN, FAAN was recently honored as a 2015 University of Rhode Island Distinguished Alumni. She was nominated by Interim Dean Mary Sullivan from the College of Nursing.
In the mid 1980’s, Dr. Manton was working at the MGH Institute of Health Professions as an Assistant Professor when she realized that if she wished to continue to advance in the field of teaching, she would need a doctorate degree. Having already earned BSN from Boston State College and a MS from Boston College, she decided to enroll in the brand new PhD program at the URI School of Nursing. In 1986 she started her commute from her job in Boston to URI. It took her three years to finish her course work and another three to finish her dissertation; finally getting her PhD in 1995. While it would have been easier to go to school full time, according to Anne. “Life got in the way. There was a husband, children and a job to juggle.” To make life easier, she and three other students in the program who were also commuting from long distances decided that it would indeed be easier if they spent their Wednesday evenings in Kingston. They reached an agreement with the family that owns the King’s Rose Inn Bed and Breakfast to rent a room every Wednesday evening. This novel approach to “living down the line”, worked out very well for the years she attended classes.
Dr. Manton credits her decision to attend the University of Rhode Island with having an enormous impact on her career. “The course work was challenging but very organized. It was everything I expected but far more.” According to Anne, “The content of the courses and how they were taught made me think differently; to be more creative and at the same time skeptical.” “This has been an enormous help in my present job as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing. I look at the content of manuscripts far more critically.” She feels that it also made her own writings more succinct and detailed.
Dr. Manton’s description in the program for this year’s URI Distinguished Alumni reads:
“Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Cape Cod Hospital; and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Emergency Nursing A nurse for more than 40 years, Anne Manton has been involved in nursing education for more than two decades and currently serves as a mental health nurse practitioner at Cape Cod Hospital. She retired as associate professor of nursing from Fairfield University, where she also served as graduate program director and acting dean. Widely published in research journals and the editor of several nursing books, she is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing. For her contributions to the advancement of emergency nursing in education, practice, research and public policy, she was named a fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing and inducted into the Emergency Nursing Hall of Fame.”
Because of program space limitations, this description was only a small excerpt of the accomplishments of Dr. Manton. Her nursing career started in 1960 at Mass. General Hospital in Boston. Over the course of the next 55 years, Anne has worked at 18 different Hospitals and organizations, often at two or three simultaneously. For instance, while serving as Acting Dean of Fairfield University School of Nursing, she also served as President of the Emergency Nurses Association. Her area of concentration has been primarily in the field of Emergency Nursing and Mental Health. In looking at her biography and resume, there has hardly been a single month in the past 20 years that she had not presented a paper or given a speech on some aspect of nursing. She has been a very busy lady passing on her knowledge to future generations of nurses and health professionals.
Dr. Manton stated, “I was surprised when I received notice of the Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Rhode Island.” She should not have been. Without going into specifics, she has also received the following awards: Magna cum Laude from Boston State College; Felicia K. Fullerton Scholarship; Judith C. Kelleher Award; Woman of Achievement Award from Notre Dame Academy; ENA Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame; Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing; Gail P. Lenehan Advocacy Award; Fellow-Academy of Emergency Nursing; Honorary Lifetime Member – National Student Nurses Association and Living Legend Award from American Nurses Association-Mass. These awards are a tribute to a long and distinguished career.
While continuing to work as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing, Anne now plans to take more time off and enjoy her family which consists of a husband, three children and five grandchildren. You can be sure she will continue to write and give presentations, but after fifty-five years of nursing and teaching she deserves and has undoubtedly earned a break.