Filed under: Nursing Science — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:09
Dr. Blackwell’s research study, “Preventing HIV through Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): An Evaluation of Family Nurse Practitioner Programs in the United States” has been selected for funding through a competitive grant program from the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The study will examine the amount of curricular content graduate family nurse practitioner students are exposed to on PrEP during their master or doctoral FNP program. The study should be completed by the end of 2025. Dr. Blackwell was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2016.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:52
Story Courtesy UCF Athletics:
In the midst of the euphoric chaos unfolding on the floor around him, senior guard Darius Johnson reflected on the job he and his team accomplished.
“It’s a great experience, but we’re supposed to get that win. We went into the game expecting to win, and nothing less.”
Johnson, in the first game of his fourth season donning the Black and Gold, took up his mantle as their leader, dropping a game-high 24 points to lead the UCF men’s basketball team to a statement 64-61 opening night upset victory over the No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at Addition Financial Arena Monday evening.
The winning effort represented the 11th over a ranked opponent in program history, the fourth in the last two years, and the first in three tries in a season-opener.
In the current calendar year alone, the Knights have now toppled four top 25 opponents on their home floor, also besting then-No. 3 Kansas Jan. 10, then-No. 23 Oklahoma Feb. 3, and then-No. 23 Texas Tech Feb. 24. The contest also marked the ninth of UCF’s 11 all-time ranked wins to have been achieved under Dawkins.
A testament to head coach Johnny Dawkins, Monday evening’s feat, the first win by UCF in the first meeting between the two programs, was accomplished with just two returning players who played tonight from the 2023-24 campaign, Johnson and sophomore guard Nils Machowski.
“What an opening game, to play against a team with that type of experience and talent. I thought it was great for our team,” Dawkins said. “You bring in 11 new guys, you don’t know what to expect, and they showed me something today. They can play with composure and the moment wasn’t too big for them. They beat a really good, well-coached team.”
The Knights gained momentum early with a hot hand from beyond the arc and later iced the game from the free throw line.
Staring up at a 10-point deficit for the fourth time, UCF, having made just five field goals through the first 10:58 of the second half, made the adjustment against a staunch Aggies defense that led the SEC in rebounding and ranked fifth in scoring defense last season.
The Black and Gold forced 17 free throw attempts through the game’s final six minutes and 51 seconds, converting 13 to help erase a 54-44 Aggies advantage and end the contest with eight unanswered points. Two key blocks by sophomore JJ Taylor on the defensive end, both coming in the final two minutes, were not lost on Johnson as crucial moments in halting any late Texas A&M momentum.
“JJ, he made a lot of great plays down the stretch, defensively and offensively,” Johnson continued. “He had a great offensive rebound to put us up one, which was a huge play down the stretch. As leaders and older guys on the team, we’ve been pushing JJ to get more out of him, and he’s been doing a great job with that. He came out and showcased his abilities tonight.”
A shaky start that saw the Knights fail on each of their first eight tries from the field was quickly shoved aside with an emphatic dunk by junior transfer Keyshawn Hall, giving UCF its first two points of the season while trimming the Aggies’ lead to 6-2 just under five minutes in.
Taylor opened the floodgates moments later, drilling his team’s first 3-point shot of the night to ignite a stretch that saw him score seven on the strength of four consecutive made tries from the line.
Johnson, on the heels of his single-season career best 15.2 points per game a year ago, connected on his first two tries from beyond the arc around a converted Jordan Ivy-Curry 3-point try, slimming Texas A&M’s lead to 23-18 with 8:03 on the first-half clock.
Ivy-Curry then followed an Aggies dunk with four more points of his own to keep his team close, then joined Johnson in making consecutive triples to help the Knights to a 29-29 tie at halftime.
“They have a lot of character,” Dawkins said. “We worked out this summer and fall, and what I saw are guys who love to compete and love to win. We’re playing against each other in practice, it’s very competitive, and that’s how you get better. They did a good job understanding what they need to do to work their way back in the game.”
Johnson added two more 3-point shots in the early stages of the second half before the Aggies built their lead back up to double figures, coming one triple shy of tying his single-game career high of six he set against the BYU Cougars March 13, 2024.
Having entered the season just 58 points shy of 1,000 in his career, the veteran guard also now needs just 34 more to become the 21st Knight in program history to reach the plateau, and join Ivy-Curry and Jaylin Sellers as the third Knight on the active roster with a 1,000-point resume.
In their respective UCF debuts, Ivy-Curry (16), Taylor (10) and Hall (10) joined Johnson in double-digit scoring, while freshman Moustapha Thiam, the first five-star recruit and the highest-ranked recruit in program history, made his seven-foot, two-inch frame felt with six blocks, finishing two shy of the program’s single-game record.
“This is a statement game,” Johnson continued. “Moving forward we want to make people respect us.”
UP NEXT UCF will look to continue the momentum accrued from its prolific victory, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne in its next contest Friday, Nov. 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from Addition Financial Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
Lady GaGa made a stop at the Jimmy Kimmel show on Thursday to perform her new single, “Happy Mistake” from her new album Harlequin, which features the Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner’s songs from the film Joker: Folie à Deux. Her performance was an absolute knockout. Check it out by clicking the link below. Harlequin is available now on all streaming platforms. Joker: Folie à Deux, from Warner Brothers Pictures, is in theaters now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdzWWkDXkis&t=251s
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.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:16
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.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:46
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+.
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.
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!
Filed under: Nursing Science — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:07
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.
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.
