(MANCHESTER, CT) – Margaret "Marge" Letitia, BSN, RN, EMT-P, CEN, a Manchester Memorial Hospital Emergency Department nurse, became the first in Connecticut to be named a fellow at the Academy of Emergency Nursing. This distinctive honor is reserved for fewer than 1% of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) members worldwide.
Letitia, now among the world's top leaders in emergency nursing, works per diem at Manchester Memorial Hospital, part of the Hartford HealthCare system, after a 50 plus-year career that spans emergency nursing practice, trauma care, injury prevention, mentorship and leadership development.
“I am so proud to celebrate this extraordinary achievement," said Adam C. Steinberg, DO, MBA, president Hartford HealthCare's Greater Manchester Region. “For more than 50 years, Marge has set the standard for excellence in emergency nursing. Her impact extends far beyond the patients she cared for, helping shape emergency nursing across Connecticut through her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to advancing the profession. Becoming the first nurse in Connecticut to earn this prestigious international distinction is a testament to the impact she has had on patients, colleagues and the community.”
In naming her to its Hall of Honor in 2025, the ENA said Letitia “demonstrates enduring and substantial contributions to the advancement of emergency nursing within the pillars of education and leadership.”
Long an active ENA member and, for a time, president of the local chapter, Letitia was named state chair of trauma and pediatric training. As such, she facilitated access to specific training at hospitals across the state to improve care for seriously ill and young patients. She became a subject matter expert in both areas as well as injury prevention and was a founding member of the state’s Gun Buyback Program in 2009.
“Marge spent her entire career raising the standard of emergency nursing,” said Jaclyn Duskocy, RN, vice president of patient care services in the Greater Manchester Region. “By advancing education and championing best practices, she helped shape generations of emergency nurses and improve the care of patients across Connecticut.”
Part of an Elite Group
Letitia was one of eight fellows inducted in the Academy in 2026. Five were inducted in 2025 and six in 2024. Fellows must demonstrate a sustained body of work that has had a significant impact on emergency nursing beyond their own organization. The honor is based on cumulative contributions.
“This international group of women and men represents the numerous ways emergency nurses improve patient care and strengthen the specialty wherever they work,” said ENA President Dustin Bass, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC. “Their contributions reflect exceptional individual achievement and leadership in pediatrics, pre-hospital response, research, education and leadership development.”
Of the up to 50,000 members worldwide, less than 1% are ENA fellows.