HUGE congratulations to the University of Central Florida College of Nursing! The College’s BSN program was just ranked in the Top 30 for public universities in the United States by US News & World Report.
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Monday, September 9, 2024
UCF Knights Steamroll Sam Houston, Start Big XII Play This Week
The UCF Knights (2-0; 0-0 Big XII) dominated both sides of the ball Saturday with a sold-out, rain soaked-filled FBS Mortgage Stadium. Per UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – Saturday’s game was delayed 30 minutes due to lightning in the area, but that didn’t have any impact on a hot start for UCF, as the Knights scored on six of their first seven drives to earn a 45-14 victory against Sam Houston at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
For the second consecutive game, the Black and Gold compiled more than 550 yards of total offense, including 384 rushing yards. Defensively, UCF forced two turnovers and held Sam Houston to just 67 rushing yards.
UCF has now opened the season with a 2-0 record in three of Malzahn’s four seasons in Orlando. Saturday’s game also marked the 200th FBS win for the Knights as a program since making the transition from FCS in 1996.
Knights running back RJ Harvey tied the program record and set a career high with four rushing touchdowns, while surpassing 100 yards rushing for the 10th time in his career. The Orlando native finished with 126 rushing yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone four times – the first player to do so since Isaiah Bowser in 2021.
The preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List honoree recorded the first two touchdowns of the game, scoring from 19 yards out and on a two-yard rush to cap 80-yard and 76-yard drives, respectively.
For the third time in his career, UCF kicker Colton Boomer booted a 50-yard field goal as he split the uprights to extend the Knights’ early advantage to 17-0 in the second quarter. The Lake Mary native had a pair of 50-yarders in the Boise State game last season, including the game-winner.
KJ Jefferson led the offense from his quarterback position, going 12-for-15 passing for 169 yards. He also rushed for 50 yards on nine attempts. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson reeled in 104 of those, eclipsing the 100-yard receiving mark for the sixth time in his career.
Defensively, the Black and Gold were dominant throughout the game, limiting the Bearkats to 118 yards and just 16 rushing at halftime. In comparison, UCF had already rushed for 243 yards and Harvey accounted for 115 yards on 16 carries with three rushing touchdowns in the first 30 minutes.
The Knights tallied two interceptions for the second straight game, as Mac McWilliams and Sheldon Arnoldeach came down with their first interceptions in a UCF uniform.
Quadric Bullard, Nyjalik Kelly and Xe’ree Alexander led the defensive effort each with six tackles. Kelly notched the Knights’ first sack of the season, forced a fumble and had a pass breakup.
UCF returns to action next weekend when the Knights travel to TCU to open Big 12 Conference play. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX from Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Monday, September 2, 2024
UCF Knights Crush New Hampshire, Eye Sam Houston
The UCF Knights (1-0; 0-0 Big XII) knocked off New Hampshire 57-3 (0-1; 0-0 CAA) in front of a sold-out crowd at FBS Mortgage Stadium Thursday night. As reported by UCF Athletics:
After ranking among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense the past two seasons, the UCF football program is poised to have another strong year on the ground in 2024. The Knights rushed for 454 yards, the second most in program history, Thursday night en route to a 57-3 victory against New Hampshire in the season opener at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
Additionally, UCF’s 8.4 rushing yards per carry are the second most in a single game in program history. The Black and Gold had eight different players carry the football in the contest with five Knights rushing for at least 40 yards. UCF had 14 rushes of 10 yards or more, headlined by a 60-yard rush from running back RJ Harvey.
“I’m proud of our team. Taking care of business with a convincing win. Looking at the game, I just told the players the thing that stood out to me is only three penalties. We’ve been really focused on not beating ourselves.”GUS MALZAHN UCF FOOTBALL HEAD COACH
In addition to the offense, the Knights’ defense was stellar throughout the contest limiting the Wildcats to just nine first downs. UCF’s aggressive defense forced two interceptions, as linebacker Deshawn Paceswung the momentum in the Knights’ favor early in the second quarter when he jumped in front of Seth Morgan’s pass for his sixth career pick.
Following a pair of Colton Boomer field goals in the first half, Pace nearly recorded a pick six as he was knocked out of bounds at the three-yard line after a 37-yard return. One play later, quarterback KJ Jefferson found the end zone for the Knights’ first touchdown of the season to give UCF a 13-0 lead.
Tabbed as one of the top special teams players in the country by College Football Network last season, Ladarius Tennison raced through the middle of the UNH punt unit to block the attempt and it was recovered by the Wildcats in the endzone for a safety.
From there, the Black and Gold scored 23 points in the second quarter to own a 29-3 lead at halftime behind a pair of rushing TDs from Harvey. The 2024 Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List selection surpassed 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive game dating back to last season and the ninth time in his career. The Orlando native finished with 11 carries for 142 yards, averaging 12.9 yards per rush – second most by an individual in program history.
Following the intermission, UCF forced four consecutive punts to pull away from the Wildcats with 28 points in the third quarter. Making his debut in the Black and Gold, Myles Montgomery notched his first career receiving touchdown on a 49-yard catch from KJ Jefferson. His backfield mate, Peny Boone found the endzone a few minutes with a 59-yard scamper to push the Knights’ advantage to 43-3.
“Defensively, we played a big-time game,” said Malzahn. “I think [Deshawn] Pace’s Interception, that was the one that really turned the game into being able to breathe a little bit. [Ladarius] Tennison had the block punt right there. I mean, he was one of the better special teams players in college football last year, and it showed. Xavier Townsend was big time in the return game.”
Boone had seven rushes for 81 yards and Montgomery logged 77 yards on eight rushes. Johnny Richardsonpitched in with 40 rushing yards and a 22-yard touchdown reception.
Sophomore Antione Jackson came up with the Knights’ second interception of the day and Montgomery quickly turned it into six points for UCF, scoring from 25 yards out. It marked the first time he’s scored a touchdown on the ground and receiving in the same game in his career.
Pace led the defense with five tackles, including three solo, while Braeden Marshall had a great game with four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Mac McWilliams notched four tackles with a TFL.
UCF returns to action at home next weekend when the Sam Houston Bearkats visit Orlando. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from FBC Mortgage Stadium on ESPN+.
Photo and story, courtesy UCF Athletics.
Monday, May 20, 2024
Dr. Blackwell Publishing Multiple Upcoming Original Manuscripts in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Dr. Blackwell has 3 upcoming articles that will be published in JNP–The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The first article is an editorial that marks the end of Dr. Blackwell’s year-long work as the guest editor for the journal’s special issue on acute care (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-journal-for-nurse-practitioners/special-issue/10FBVLB01WJ). Entitled, “Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care: Make a Commitment to Excellence!,” the editorial focuses on some of the educational and certification disparities in nurse practitioners (NPs) working in acute care settings, and encourages non-acute care certified NPs to enhance their clinical knowledge and expertise by ensuring they’re properly educated and credentialed.
The second article provides a critical clinical update to an earlier 2024 article Dr. Blackwell published on CDC isolation directives for patients exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (http://drchristopherblackwell.com/documents/1-s2.0-S1555415524000382-main.pdf). The article, “Policy Update: CDC Isolation Directives for Patients Exposed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2” updates clinicians on the very recent changes to CDC isolation procedures for these persons. The abstract is as follow:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its recommendations on isolation procedures for patients exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Updated directives are based on symptoms and febrile status. Specifically, patients should remain at home and avoid others until their symptoms are overall improving and they have been afebrile for at least 24 hours without use of antipyretics. After isolating, additional precautions should be observed for five days. Further considerations may be necessary for higher-risk patient populations. This article is a short policy brief update that supplements a recent 2024 article published by Blackwell in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners.
The final article, “Scaffolding Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Outcomes through Simulation” explores the role simulation has in AGACNP curricula designed around learner exposure to higher patient acuity levels through programmatic progression. Dr. Blackwell is second author behind fellow UCF AGACNP Faculty colleague Dr. Frank Guido-Sanz. Other members of the research team behind the work included Drs. Mindi Anderson, Desiree Diaz, and Steven Talbert. The abstract for this article appears below:
Simulation-based education (SBE), incorporating the scaffolding and augmented/virtual reality experiences, is noteworthy for meeting the outcomes of adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP) education. Faculty in AGACNP programs must have a strong understanding of the pedagogy associated with the use of simulation in advanced practice nursing education. When designing and implementing simulation experiences for learners, faculty must consider their progression in increasing and building upon knowledge and skills through the AGACNP curriculum. This article discusses effective strategies for faculty to use a scaffolding approach when designing and implementing SBEs. Specific SBE experience exemplars will be discussed.
Once these articles are published, readers will be able to find them by clicking the “Research” tab at the top of Dr. Blackwell’s professional Web site (http://drchristopherblackwell.com). The Web site, including the Research page and links, are updated in late May, August, and December.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Learn with Dr. Blackwell at the 2024 AANP Conference!
Dr. Blackwell will be presenting two sessions @ the 2024 AANP Conference in Nashville this year! Both are on Wednesday (6/26). First, from 1100-1200, learn about Malpractice Trends and Issues for NPs in Acute Care by registering for Session #24.2.048. Then, from 1330-1430, join Dr. Blackwell to learn about Preventing HIV in 2024: Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Strategies by registering for Session # 24.2.079. See you there!
Monday, April 8, 2024
Dr. Blackwell’s Work to be Published in the Journal of Social Service Research
Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “The Relationship between Healthcare Organizational Magnet® Status and Scores on the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: A Comparative Temporal Analysis” has been ACCEPTED for publication in the Journal of Social Service Research. Written with colleagues Drs. Humberto Lopez Castillo, Anthony Roque, and Yi Liu, and Mr. Andy Todd, the work provides an update on Blackwell’s work (published in 2020) that examined the relationship between the HRC’s HEI scores and organizational Magnet® status. The Abstract from the work appears below:
The Human Rights Campaign’s annual Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) evaluates participating organizations’ (n = 906) treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and clients. Higher HEI scores reflect greater equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ persons, a mark of merit for the organization. The American Nurses Credentialing Center recognizes nursing excellence in healthcare organization by designating them Magnet® institutions (n = 612). Blackwell and colleagues (2020) showed a significant relationship between organizational HEI scores and recognition as Magnet®. The purpose of this study was to determine if this relationship changedbetween 2018 and 2022. Chi-square tests analyzed statistical relationships between aggregate HEI score as well as each sub-criterion within the HEI, and the organization’s Magnet® status. HEI score and Magnet® status-maintained association (p = <.001). Three of four individual scoring criteria were also related to Magnet® recognition, an improvement from just one of the criteria in 2018. Organizations with greater commitment to LGBTQ+ equality continue to be associated with Magnet® recognition, suggesting a continued commitment to healthcare excellence. Future research should focus analysis efforts across the same organizations between HEI and Magnet® data collection points and assess LGBTQ+-inclusive care and employment practices and organizational nursing excellence with tools external to the HEI and Magnet®recognition.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Dr. Blackwell to Receive Award Recognizing Outstanding Achievements in Research
Dr. Christopher Blackwell is the recipient of the Research Incentive Award (RIA) from the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida (UCF) for the 2023-2024 Academic Year. According to UCF Faculty Excellence, which oversees and manages the RIA Program:
The UCF In-Unit Research Incentive Award (RIA) program recognizes outstanding research, scholarly, or creative activity that advances the body of knowledge in a particular field, including interdisciplinary research and collaborations. The Research Incentive award recognizes in-unit employee contributions to UCF’s key goal of achieving international prominence in research and creative activities.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Dr. Blackwell’s Work to be Published in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Dr. Blackwell original article, “Application of CDC’s Isolation Directives for Patients Exposed to SARS-CoV-2” has been accepted for publication in JNP–The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The article explores the most up-to-date isolation recommendations for patient exposed to SARS-CoV-2 who test positive and remain asymptomatic and those who test positive and develop symptoms. The work will appear in the journal in the forthcoming months. The abstract for the article appears below:
SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease remain an ongoing public health concern. While directives are subject to change, nurse practitioners (NPs) must have a strong working knowledge of COVID-19 precaution and isolation directives to counsel patients on proper implementation of precaution and isolation strategies. This article informs clinicians regarding: 1) some inputs that inform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 isolation directives; 2) review of most recent directives to symptomatic and asymptomatic patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2; 3) use of CDC COVID-19 Isolation & Exposure Calculator; and 4) NP role in guiding future research and public health initiatives.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
UCF Knights Take Down #3 Kansas in Historic Big 12 Home Opener
Story and Photo Courtesy UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – “The message for us is simple: We belong.”
UCF men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins made his declaration Jan. 4 prior to the Knights’ Big 12 Conference opener at Kansas State, and in front of a raucous, sellout home crowd Wednesday night, they proved it.
Built upon a second-half surge and stifling efforts on the defensive end, UCF put its new conference on notice, toppling the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks by a 65-60 final score before 9,469 fans at Addition Financial Arena, marking the third largest crowd in program history and the second highest in a regular season game.
The victory ranks among the most prolific in program history, representing the first against a top three nationally-ranked opponent, the second against a top five foe, and the ninth against a squad ranked within the top 25. En route to the team’s upset, the Knights (10-4, 1-1 Big 12), erased a Jayhawks (13-2, 1-1 Big 12) lead that grew to as many as 16 points with 3:45 remaining in the first half.
“It was a great night for UCF. Our guys kept fighting in a game in which they got down early in the first half to a very good Kansas basketball team,” Dawkins said. “I’m proud of the way we fought back with great courage, effort and energy throughout the entire night.”
In the first meeting between the two programs in either’s history, the Knights also notched their first win within Big 12 Conference play and extended a few notable win streaks Dawkins himself owns against Kansas and its head coach, Bill Self.
UCF’s Wednesday effort represented his second win against the Jayhawks as a head coach, joining his triumph over Kansas as the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal March 23, 2014 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Dawkins improved to 4-0 against the Jayhawks in his career, after he also bested Kansas twice as a player with Duke in the 1985-86 season.
Against Self, Dawkins also improved to 4-0, having previously beaten his now-fellow head coach as an assistant coach with Duke in the tournament’s second round in 1999 when Self was at Tulsa, and in 2000 Dawkins bested Self when the latter was with Illinois as well.
With the two squads trading blows throughout much of the second half, the Knights finally claimed a lead they would not relinquish with 2:57 to play in the final half.
Fifth year forward Ibrahima Diallo grabbed a pass from junior guard Jaylin Sellers just outside the paint and finished a turnaround jumper just moments later, giving his team a 59-57 advantage.
Fellow fifth year CJ Walker, who made his first start for the Knights since March 11, 2022, gave UCF a bit of breathing room with a pair of free throws, and a Sellers layup coupled with two more converted free throw tries from junior guard Darius Johnson iced the Knights’ first win against a top five-ranked opponent since the team prevailed against then-No. 4 UConn by a 68-63 final score Nov. 25, 2011.
The timely shot by Diallo punctuated one of the better all-around games authored by the Saly, Senegal, native, finishing with a season-high 13 points and five total rebounds. The contest marked his highest-scoring effort since he recorded 16 points against California Baptist Nov. 18, 2021 with San Jose State.
“He was great,” Dawkins said of Diallo. “He’s going against arguably the best ‘big’ in college basketball, Hunter Dickinson is a terrific player. For Ibrahima to go toe-to-toe with him and have to battle him in the low post, he did a great job, and I’m proud of the way he stepped up and gave us a huge effort tonight.”
The final sequence, one that saw the Knights outscore the Jayhawks 8-3 and limit Kansas to one field goal in the game’s final 3:23 of play, represented a microcosm of the team’s dominant second half in the face of a daunting opponent.
After entering the final 20 minutes staring up at an eight-point deficit, Sellers, Diallo, Walker and fifth year guard Shemarri Allen combined for UCF’s first 16 points of the half while the team held Kansas to just seven in the first 6:47 of gametime to claim a 45-44 lead.
“We knew we had zone (defense) in our bag,” Dawkins added. “It’s something that we work on and we felt it was timely to play some today. That’s why you saw our guys play it so well, because they’re accustomed to playing it in practice. We were able to stay with it longer because it was effective at times in the second half.”
Johnson followed a Sellers turnaround jumpshot with his second triple of the game, and Omar Payne followed with a dunk on the fastbreak that capitalized on a Johnson steal that built the Knights’ lead to 50-44 with 11:01 to play before the Jayhawks made their final push to narrow the affairs.
UCF began its evening as dominant as it finished, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on the strength of five Sellers points. On the heels of a 12-0 Kansas run, the Knights hung with the visitors thanks to a 7-4 spurt down the stretch and a 10-2 UCF run to conclude the opening 20 minutes that pared the Jayhawks’ 35-19 lead down to 37-29 at the halftime buzzer.
“When they get that type of lead, you start to get knocked back a little bit,” Dawkins continued. “In our timeouts, I was trying to settle them down and stress that we have to take it possession by possession. We talked about working our way back in it in that last four-minute segment, and we were able to do that.”
Sellers paced the team with a game-high 18 points, marking his 11th game with at least 15 points and his 13th game in double figures. Johnson, meanwhile, recorded his third-highest scoring game this season with 17 points, and his sixth with at least 10 points.
UP NEXT
The Knights have a quick turnaround to their next Big 12 test, when the Black and Gold will welcome the No. 18/17 BYU Cougars to Addition Financial Arena Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the contest is slated for 4 p.m. Jan. 13 and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Watch the video below (courtesy ESPN) to see the UCF students storm the court after beating Kansas on Wednesday night:
https://www.espn.com/core/video/iframe/_/id/39282875/endcard/false
Monday, December 4, 2023
UCF Knights Cap First Season in Big 12 Conference with Gasparilla Bowl Matchup Against Georgia Tech
After finishing its first season in the Big 12 Conference with a 6-6 record (3-6 Big 12) and a 27-13 win against the Houston Cougars (4-8; 2-7 Big 12), the UCF Knights are heading to the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl to face ACC foe Georgia Tech (6-6; 5-3 ACC). The game will mark the 6th time the Knights have participated in that Bowl game, with its most recent trip in 2021, when they beat the Florida Gators 29-17.
“We’re not satisfied with how everything turned out, but we’re happy that in the first year, we went to a bowl,” coach Gus Malzahn said after the win over the Cougars. “Now we need to focus on winning that bowl and get some momentum going in next year.” A victory against the Yellowjackets would be an amazing cap on a shaky first season in the Big 12. UCF saw a 5-game losing streak (also accompanied by the loss of starting quarterback Jonathan Rhys Plumlee for 4 of those contests) but also a HUGE 45-3 slashing of Oklahoma State (which played in the Big 12 Conference Championship game but ultimately lost to the Texas Longhorns).
Georgia Tech does hold a lead over UCF in their series (3-2). During their last match on September 24, 2022, UCF beat Georgia Tech handily, 27-10. The head coach of Georgia Tech, Brent Key, is also a former Coach at UCF. While his head coaching stint at UCF was short-lived, many UCF fans blame Key for UCF’s 0-12 season in 2015. Beating Georgia Tech would be a great opportunity to cement some revenge. Kickoff for the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl is Friday, December 22nd at 6:30pm. The game will be nationally-televised on ESPN.