Faculty Inducted as American Academy of Nursing Fellows

Contact: Peggy Malikowski, School of Nursing, 612-625-2496 or malik025@umn.edu
Laura Stroup, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680 or stro0481@umn.edu

Four U of M School of Nursing Faculty Inducted as Fellows into the American Academy of Nursing

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Nov. 8, 2008) - Four University of Minnesota School of Nursing faculty members, Melissa Avery, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.M., F.A.C.N.M., Margaret Moss, Ph.D., J.D., R.N., Carol O'Boyle, Ph.D., R.N. and Cheryl Robertson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N. were formally inducted as fellows into the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) on November 8. Fellows are selected for their significant contributions to nursing and health care at a national or international level and their potential for continued contributions in the future.

"For the first time in the history of the School of Nursing, four exemplary professors are being inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in one year," said University of Minnesota School of Nursing Dean Connie W. Delaney, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.A.C.M.I. "This is a rare accomplishment among all U.S. schools of nursing. Nursing leaders across the U.S. join us in celebrating four exceptional nursing leaders."

Melissa Avery: Shaping midwifery education and practice
Melissa Avery, the current vice president of the American College of Nurse Midwives, is a recognized national and international leader in nurse-midwifery. During her 30-year career, she has contributed to the development of accreditation standards for nurse-midwifery education programs and the creation of benchmarks for nurse-midwifery practice. She was also an early pioneer in the development and implementation of Web-based methods of delivering online graduate nursing education.
She has also made major contributions to evidence-based practice in prenatal care. Her seminal research on vaginal birth after a cesarean section and exercise treatment for gestational diabetes is cited in national practice bulletins distributed by the American College of Nurse Midwives and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Margaret Moss: Focusing on American Indian elders
An enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, Margaret Moss is the first and only American Indian in the country to hold doctorates in nursing and law. She focuses on improving the health of Indian elders while honoring traditional tribal ways and practices. Moss is known for her innovative thinking and application of new tools like Geographical Information Systems, which she has used to examine nursing issues in American Indian health and migration.
Moss has been invited to speak to the American Public Health Association, the Gerontological Society of America, the National Institute on Aging, and the World Congress on Aging. She serves on the Minnesota Board of Aging and has participated in the White Conference on Aging. She is also serving as one of seven Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows for 2008-09.

Carol O'Boyle: Preventing and controlling infection
Carol O'Boyle played a key role in defining the discipline of infection prevention and control in the early 1980s. She has continued to be a national and international leader in research, practice consultation, public health advocacy, and nursing education. During her career, O'Boyle has co-authored many publications that contributed to improved nursing practice in areas such as avoiding exposure to HIV and other pathogens, hand hygiene, and bioterrorism response.
From 2000 to 2002, she served as principal investigator of a taskforce of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Task force recommendations were adopted by the Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2004, O'Boyle received the Advanced Infection Control Professional Award from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

Cheryl Robertson: Redefining war as a public health issue
Cheryl Robertson focuses on the health and well-being of victims of war. Her work has redefined the outcomes of war as a public health issue. She has provided sustained leadership to global health organizations including the American Refugee Committee, Minnesota International Health Volunteers, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, and Human Trafficking International.
Robertson has testified before the United Nations about documented torture and human rights violations, helped develop training for military health personnel deployed to complex humanitarian emergency zones, and created a program to support nursing education in conflict-affected regions. Her many honors include a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship, the Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Twin Cities International Citizen of the Year Award.

The School of Nursing's latest inductees bring its total number of fellows to 17. Previous inductees include:

• Linda Bearinger, Ph.D., M.S., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Donna Bliss, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.G.S.A.
• Connie Delaney, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.A.C.M.I.
• Joanne Disch, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Sandra Edwardson, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Ann Garwick, Ph.D., R.N., L.P., L.M.F.T., F.A.A.N.
• Mary Jo Kreitzer, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Barbara Leonard, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Joan Liaschenko, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Ruth Lindquist, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.P.R.N.
• Christine Mueller, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., B.C., C.N.A.A.
• Linda Olson-Keller, D.N.P., R.N., F.A.A.N.
• Jean Wyman, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.G.S.A.

The University of Minnesota's School of Nursing, ranked among the nation's top nursing schools, is a leader in improving health care through research, education, and service. Its nationally and world-renowned scientists discover practical health care treatments and solutions people can use today to improve their daily lives. The oldest continuing university-based school of nursing in the nation, it now has a combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment of approximately 850 students. The school educates 55 percent of the faculty in Minnesota's public and private nursing schools, advanced practice nurses, and nurses who can assume leadership positions. The School of Nursing is part of the Academic Health Center, one of the most comprehensive facilities for health professionals in the nation, fostering interdisciplinary study, research, and education. For additional information on the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing, go to www.nursing.umn.edu.

About the American Academy of Nursing: The American Academy of Nursing anticipates and tracks national and international trends in health care, while addressing resulting issues of health care knowledge and policy. The Academy's mission is to serve the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. The Academy's 1500 fellows include university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; researchers, and entrepreneurs; and practicing nurses. To learn more, visit www.aannet.org.