INF 40 Under 40 Awardee: Antoinette Fox

For Antoinette Fox, nursing has been a journey of growth, discovery, and finding her voice as a leader. After graduating from Saint Xavier University with her BSN, Antoinette began her career nearly seven years ago at Christ Medical Center on a telemetry unit. Determined to learn and grow quickly, she became a preceptor and charge nurse within her first year. But Antoinette wanted to expand her skills and experience, so she transitioned to the Endoscopy Lab, where she spent the next five years, advancing again as a charge nurse and preceptor.

Finding Her Voice Through Professional Governance

While in the Endoscopy Lab, Antoinette became active on the unit council to help improve her team’s work environment and patient care. Her passion for advocacy grew as she took over as chair of the council and began attending Professional Governance Council meetings. “I was inspired by what I saw there,” Antoinette recalls. “I found a space where nurses’ voices truly mattered, where we could make real changes for both patients and staff. That’s when I realized, I wanted to keep moving forward in leadership.” Together with her co-chair, Nicole Calderon, Antoinette implemented patient outcome improvements and coordinated hospital wide events, sparking her decision to pursue a career in nursing leadership.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Nurses

Today, Antoinette has stepped into a new role as a Nurse Professional Development Generalist and is pursuing her Master’s degree in Nurse Leadership. Her goal is to inspire the next generation of nurses to get involved, speak up, and drive meaningful change in healthcare. “I want to help nurses see that their voices matter,” she says. “By empowering them to lead, we can create better environments for staff and better outcomes for patients.”

The Illinois Nurses Foundation proudly recognizes Antoinette Fox as a 2025 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leader for her dedication to professional growth, nurse advocacy, and building pathways for future leaders in healthcare.

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