Dr. Christopher Blackwell, Associate Professor & Director of AGACNP Programs in the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida was notified on May 16th that he has been selected for induction as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).
According to AAN: The Academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy, practice and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership. Every day across America, the Academy and its members create and execute knowledge-driving and policy-related initiates to drive reform of America’s health system.
Academy’s more than 2,700 members, known as Fellows, are nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education management, practice and research. Fellows include association executives; university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; nurse consultants; researchers; and entrepreneurs.
Fellows have been recognized for their extraordinary nursing careers and are among the nation’s most highly-educated citizens: more than 90% hold doctoral degrees and the rest have completed masters programs. Invitation to the fellowship represents more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming America’s health system by
- Enhancing the quality of health and nursing care,
- Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum,
- Reducing health disparities and inequalities,
- Shaping healthy behaviors and environments,
- Integrating mental and physical health, and
- Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally.
Being inducted as a FAAN is widely considered to be the pinnacle of accomplishment and achievement within the nursing profession. The ceremony will take place in Washington, DC on October 26th. Dr. Blackwell will be joined by UCF College of Nursing colleagues Drs. Annette Bourgault and Vicki Loerezel, also selected for 2019 FAAN induction.
A study appearing today in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights research findings that the antiretroviral drug Truvada is highly effective at preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men (MSM). Researchers studied the effect of Truvada in a sample of 2,500 MSM in San Francisco, CA and Lima, Peru. While infection rates declined an average of 44%; when participants took the drug precisely as prescribed, its efficacy rose to up to 90%! Adverse effects are low and included nausea, increased creatinine, and weight loss. The finding holds promise that perhaps pre-exposure prophylactic treatment could be the key to greatly reducing infection rates in the population at most risk. Of great concern, however is the cost. In the US, Truvada costs between $12,000-$14,000 annually. In addition, Gilead, the maker of the drug needs to pursue FDA approval for the pre-exposure indication, which could take months.