Richard "Kyle" Kincaid, DNP, FNP, ENP, a founder of the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners (AAENP), died Wednesday, February 5, 2020, after a brief illness. He was 44.
Kyle had over 20 years of emergency care experiences, including prehospital and air transport. He served as the Chief Flight Nurse for the inaugural Medivac program in Victoria, Texas. His strive and dedication to emergency care was recognized with the Nurse Practitioner of the Year award from South Texas Foundation for Nursing Excellence in 2010.
His vision for the advancement of the emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) role led him, along with two colleagues, to create the AAENP organization in October, 2013. Arlo Weltge, MD, FACEP, and AAENP cofounder describes Kyle as "a leader and innovator on the front lines, but also a calm and kind friend. Losing Kyle is a loss to ENPs ... we have all lost an ally."
Kyle served as AAENP's President in 2016-2017. He was instrumental in establishing the organization's bylaws, financial processes, and business structure. His passion for a national organization to strengthen ENP practice shaped the future for emergency care delivery and will continue to do so.
Kyle held a faculty appointment at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston where he taught for over a decade in the post-master's emergency/trauma nurse practitioner program with AAENP cofounder Elda Ramirez, PhD, ENP, FAAN, FAANP. "Kyle had no boundaries. He was fearless! Kyle gave everyone around him courage to do what seemed impossible. We will miss him everyday!," Ramirez said.
Kyle had a vision for supporting future ENPs with educational scholarships, particularly those from rural communities such as his in Victoria, Texas. Current AAENP President Andrea Smith-Brooks noted that "Kyle will be greatly missed by all. We will continue to honor Kyle and his contributions to our profession."
Additionally, through his role as a Director at Schumacher Clinical Partners, Kyle worked tirelessly to support nurse practitioners and physician assistants working in emergency departments throughout the country. In honor of his efforts for ENP advocacy and to further his vision, a memorial scholarship is currently being developed. Further details will be announced by the AAENP as they become available.
-Jennifer Wilbeck, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC, ENP-C, FAANP, FAAN
AAENP President-Elect
Associate Professor & Emergency Nurse
Practitioner Specialty Coordinator
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Nashville, TN
Guest Editor