Honoring a nurse leader: From left, Pamela Stanley, who directs Saint Mary’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Maria O’Rourke; healthcare consultant Nancy Loos; and Theresa Murphy, Chief Nursing Officer at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, with which Saint Mary’s has a clinical partnership / Photo courtesy Pamela Stanley
Saint Mary’s College of California Congratulates Dr. Maria O’Rourke on the ACNL DAISY Lifetime Achievement / Living Legend Award
In forging a pioneering partnership with Dr. O’Rourke, Saint Mary’s has built a nursing program grounded in her transformative work—which exemplifies the highest ideals of the nursing profession.
Saint Mary’s College of California is proud to congratulate Dr. Maria O’Rourke as the 2026 recipient of the ACNL DAISY Lifetime Achievement/Living Legend Award in nursing. The award from the Association of California Nurse Leaders and The DAISY Foundation was presented on February 10 at the ACNL conference in Rancho Mirage, California.
“This year’s ACNL DAISY Lifetime Achievement/Living Legend Award honors an extraordinary nurse leader whose decades-long commitment to compassionate care, professional leadership, and transformative impact exemplifies the highest ideals of the nursing profession,” said Dr. Pamela Stanley, who directs the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Saint Mary’s. “Saint Mary’s has built a nursing program based on her work, and we’re thrilled for all this award represents.”
This prestigious award recognizes a “living legend” in nursing—an individual whose career has profoundly influenced patient care, nursing education, research, advocacy, and leadership across California and beyond. Recipients are distinguished not only by clinical excellence and innovative leadership, but also by their enduring dedication to mentoring future generations, fostering inclusive excellence, and advancing healthcare systems. This lifetime honor celebrates a legacy of service that leaves an indelible mark on colleagues, communities, and the patients they serve.
Impact on Generations of Nurses
Dr. O’Rourke’s impact already spans generations of nurses, and it continues to empower them to practice to the full scope, depth, and beauty of the profession. “Through her steadfast emphasis on role clarity, accountability, and professional identity, she has elevated nursing beyond tasks and procedures to its rightful place as a discipline grounded in knowledge, advocacy, and healing,” said Saint Mary’s Pamela Stanley. “Thousands of nurses shaped by her work practice with confidence in their roles. They bring a strong voice to the interprofessional table and a profound commitment to patients and communities. Her life’s work has not only strengthened the profession—it has illuminated the artistry and humanity at the heart of nursing.”
“Through her steadfast emphasis on role clarity, accountability, and professional identity, she has elevated nursing beyond tasks and procedures to its rightful place as a discipline grounded in knowledge, advocacy, and healing.”
— Dr. Pamela Stanley
Indeed, O’Rourke’s legacy is profound—and, as Stanley noted, she has enabled nurses to move beyond task orientation to embrace their rightful roles as knowledge-driven professionals, advocates, leaders, and global citizens. “Her courage to challenge long-held assumptions, her scholarship that continues to advance practice, and her lifelong mentorship embody the very essence of a Living Legend,” Stanley said.
A Pioneering Partnership: Saint Mary’s, Maria O’Rourke, and the O’Rourke Institute
The work Dr. O’Rourke and the O’Rourke Institute have done with hospitals and other institutions has helped set the standard for nursing in the 21st century. In a pioneering partnership, Saint Mary’s is now the first college or university to team up with Maria O’Rourke and the O’Rourke Institute, which she founded, in shaping a nursing program.
“At Saint Mary’s College of California, we are privileged to have Dr. O’Rourke serve as our designated Nurse Theorist,” Pamela Stanley noted. “Her Professional Role Identity Formation Theory and Role-Driven Practice Models form the foundation of our baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Through this integration, our students develop a deep understanding of the professional role of the registered nurse, gaining the clarity, confidence, and competence to enact that role in practice. Her influence is evident in the way our faculty consistently emphasizes accountability, ethics, and professional purpose in teaching and mentoring.”
For Saint Mary’s Pamela Stanley, the award has a deep personal meaning as well. O’Rourke and Stanley first met more than two decades ago at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where Stanley became one of O’Rourke’s certified coaches for Professional Role training. “Since that time, I have witnessed her unwavering dedication shape not only my own professional journey, but also the growth of countless nurses and healthcare systems across California and beyond,” Stanley said. “Today, her influence is woven into the DNA of our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Saint Mary’s.”
Concretely, that means O’Rourke’s work anchors Saint Mary’s alignment with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Essentials, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies, National Council of State Boards of Nursing standards, and the eight learning outcomes of the Saint Mary’s Nursing program.
