Drs. Dorothy Brockopp and Sheila Melander to be Inducted as Fellows into American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing has selected two University of Kentucky College of Nursing faculty members, Dorothy Brockopp, PhD, RN, professor, and Sheila Melander, PhD, APRN, ACNP-BC, FCCM, FAANP, to be inducted into its 2017 class of Academy fellows.
The inductees will be honored at a ceremony to be held during the Academy's annual policy conference, Transforming Health, Driving Policy, which will take place October 5-7, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
“I am proud to welcome this talented cohort of nurses as they join the ranks of the nation's foremost health care thought leaders," said Academy President, Bobbie Berkowitz, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. "They bring a rich variety of expertise to the table, and we look forward to recognizing their accomplishments at our policy conference, and then working with them to transform health policy, practice, and research by applying our collective nursing knowledge."
Drs. Brockopp and Melander will be inducted alongside 171 other distinguished nurse leaders and are the only two in the state of Kentucky to be inducted. With the addition of this new class, the total number of Academy fellows stands at over 2,500. Representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 29 countries, the fellows are nurse leaders in education, management, practice, policy, and research. Academy fellows include hospital and government administrators, college deans, and renowned scientific researchers.
Dr. Melander serves the College as the assistant dean of Graduate Faculty Affairs and the MSN and DNP Program director. She is a nationally known adult-gerontological acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) leader. She is currently serving a two-year term as president of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. She was involved in the revision of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Scope and Standards document in 2006 and was a member of the work committee that established the 2012 Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Competencies. She also led the development of the Statement on Acute Care and Primary Care Certified Nurse Practitioners. Read more on Dr. Melander here.
Dr. Brockopp teaches courses in research methods and guides students in the College's DNP and PhD Programs. Her doctoral research, psychological sequelae of the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, was funded by a National Research Service Award. She has been principal investigator on 16 funded studies that expanded on her doctoral work and co-investigator on six funded studies in associated areas. Currently she is principal investigator on a funded project designed to investigate the psychological well-being of women diagnosed with breast cancer pre- and post-diagnosis. Her work on the management of acute cancer pain includes the negative effects of bias among health care professionals when managing pain. Read more on Dr. Brockopp here.
Fellow selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health care, and sponsorship by two current Academy fellows. Applicants are reviewed by a panel comprised of elected and appointed fellows, and selection is based, in part, on the extent the nominee's nursing career has influenced health policies and the health and wellbeing of all. New fellows will be eligible to use the FAAN credential (fellow of the American Academy of Nursing) after the induction ceremony takes place in October.
Click here for more information about the American Academy of Nursing and the 2017 policy conference.
