Patrick E. Kenny Fund

The NFP’s Patrick Kenny Fund was created to honor the life of a special nurse and the legacy he leaves behind. It supports the future of nursing in the spirit of Patrick’s values: compassion, education, service, diversity, and the unwavering belief that nurses make the world better.

For more than forty years, Dr. Patrick E. Kenny devoted himself to the nursing profession with a rare combination of intellect, humility, and deep human compassion. He was a nurse, a teacher, a scholar, a mentor, an advocate, and a steady voice of wisdom within both the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) and the national nursing community. But above all, he was someone who believed that every person—patient, student, or colleague—deserved dignity, understanding, and care.

Patrick’s connection to nursing began long before he stepped into leadership roles. He entered the profession at a time when men in nursing were uncommon, yet he embraced the work with purpose and resolve. His own experiences led him to explore the history of male nurses in Pennsylvania, eventually earning a Doctor of Education from Columbia University and becoming a respected historian of the profession.

His clinical expertise was vast—psychiatric/mental health, HIV/AIDS care, gerontology, and hospital nursing—but it was his heart for people living with HIV/AIDS that truly defined his life’s work. In the early days of the epidemic, when fear and stigma were widespread, Patrick chose compassion. He became a founding member of the AIDS Task Force of Philadelphia, walked alongside patients and families during their most vulnerable moments, and served on the Surgeon General’s advisory panel under C. Everett Koop. His devotion to this community never wavered.

Within PSNA, Patrick’s leadership was immeasurable. He served as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and in countless committee roles. He guided policy discussions, supported continuing education, strengthened financial stewardship, and mentored emerging leaders with patience and enthusiasm. Patrick believed deeply in professional service—not for recognition, but because he felt nursing deserved strong, ethical leadership grounded in integrity.

Colleagues remember him as a thoughtful listener, a brilliant mind, a trusted mentor, and someone who brought both calm and clarity to complex situations. He encouraged new nurses to get involved, helped them understand governance and bylaws, and often saw potential in others long before they saw it in themselves.

His influence extended far beyond Pennsylvania. Patrick represented ANA at the United Nations, stood with nurses during President Obama’s 2010 health care address, and presented internationally on the history and practice of nursing. He published academic work, contributed textbook chapters, and spoke openly about the role of nurses as advocates for justice, dignity, and public health.

When Patrick passed away in early 2019, the Pennsylvania nursing community lost more than a leader—we lost a friend, a mentor, and a champion for what nursing could and should be.

Patrick touched countless lives. Through this fund, his impact will continue—carried forward by the nurses he inspired, the students he taught, the colleagues he supported, and the communities he served with such enduring grace.