Phan is a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist at UC Davis Health. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from San Jose State University and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has worked in large academic healthcare systems since 2013 (including the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto and Stanford Health Care) and holds certification in NPD (advanced) and evidence-based practice (EBP). Throughout her career, Phan has held diverse roles, including NPD specialist, educator, program manager, and consultant, leading initiatives in mentorship, EBP, leadership development, and competency assessment.
She is deeply engaged in advancing the specialty of NPD. She serves on the 5th Edition NPD Scope and Standards Workgroup and chairs the ANPD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Her scholarly contributions include publications on civility and DEI in nursing, as well as peer review roles for the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development and the Core Curriculum for NPD (6th ed.). She actively disseminates her scholarly work through local, regional, and national conferences, and in 2024, she was recognized with the ANPD Champion for Scientific Inquiry Award.
An active member of multiple professional nursing organizations, Phan also serves on the local chapter Board of Directors for the Association of California Nurse Leaders, where she has supported leadership development since 2021. She was honored with the Diversity and Inclusion Award (2025) and the Contribution to the Sacramento Sierra Nurse Leader Chapter Award (2023). She is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Philippine Nurses Association California Capital City Chapter, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses Association.
Driven by a passion for fostering healthy and inclusive work environments, Phan is committed to facilitating the professional role development of nurses along the continuum from novice to expert to promote safe and quality care. Her areas of interest include developing NPD practitioners and leaders, advancing health equity, and contributing to education and NPD scholarship.
Email: sanphan@health.ucdavis.edu