Dr. Pierce McDaniel is an inclusion excellence ambassador and consultant for James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, VA. She is an adjunct professor, teaching DNP courses and serves as a mentor to students completing their DNP projects.
A subject matter expert in healthcare policy, Dr. McDaniel can often be found in Congress or at her state’s General Assembly advocating for mental health concerns, the geriatric population, and any issues that impact nursing practices. She is also a subject matter expert in diverse health populations.
Dr. McDaniel serves on the Board of the Sigma Chi Alpha at Large Chapter as chair of the Governance Committee. She previously served as a co-chair on the Sigma Region 3 Member Engagement Committee. Her volunteerism with Sigma also includes mentoring and coaching. Beyond Sigma, Dr. Pierce McDaniel serves as a mentor for the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Collaborative Mentorship Program and mentored pre-licensed nursing students through the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence for two years.
Dr. Pierce McDaniel also serves on the Virginia State University RN-BSN Advisory Board and on the Board of Trustees for Henrico, Parham, and Retreat Doctors' Hospitals. She is the past chair of student outreach and served on the Board of Directors for the Central Virginia Chapter of the Virginia Nurses Association.
In her state of Virginia, the Dr. Vivienne McDaniel Health Equity Scholarship has been established to honor Dr. Pierce McDaniel, a nursing leader dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the nursing profession and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. As the inaugural chair of the Virginia Nurses Association & Virginia Nurses Foundation's (VNF) Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council and a former diversity ambassador on the VNF Board of Trustees from 2019-2024, Dr. McDaniel tirelessly advocated for equitable healthcare practices both in Virginia and nationwide. She continues to be actively involved in healthcare policy and advocacy in Virginia and nationally, with efforts focused on achieving equity across the continuum of healthcare and nursing.
Dr. Pierce McDaniel is a Fellow of the 2021 inaugural American Association of Colleges of Nursing Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI). After becoming a fellow, she served as a mentor and consultant for the DLI from 2021- 2024, mentoring over 40 nurse professionals through their fellowship program. She is also a fellow of the inaugural 2024 NBNA Academy of Diverse Leaders in Nursing (ADLN).
Dr. McDaniel served as the president of the Central Virginia Chapter of the NBNA for two years before being called on by the NBNA President in 2023 to step in as interim executive director of the NBNA's national office for six months. She currently serves as the chair of the NBNA Health Policy Committee (HPC). Both national roles earned her the NBNA Presidential Founders Spirit Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership in nursing.
At the height of the COVID pandemic, Dr. McDaniel was honored to be a member of the Virginia Governor's Long-Term Care (LTC) COVID-19 Taskforce and LTC Provider Advisory Group. For her work on the taskforce she was recognized by the VNF with the 2020 Year of the Nurse Award. In 2022, Dr. McDaniel received American Nurses Association (ANA)'s Leadership in Ethics Award. This prestigious award recognizes registered nurses who demonstrate exceptional ethical leadership and standards in their nursing practice.
Dr. McDaniel earned her Associate in Applied Science in Nursing degree from Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, VA. She furthered her education gaining a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Nursing from American Sentinel University, with a focus in Nurse Management and Organizational Leadership followed by a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, from Walden University.