UK Nursing Professor Earns Distinction as Fellow of the AANP
University of Kentucky College of Nursing professor Sharon Lock was one of four Kentucky nurse practitioners recently inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANPs).
Lock and her Kentucky colleagues were among 70 nurse practitioners nationwide to receive the honor, which recognizes members of the profession who have made significant contributions to health care through clinical practice, research, education or policy. FAANPs are considered visionaries within the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and convene every year to strategize about the future of the nurse practitioner profession and health care. Lock participated in an induction ceremony on June 11, 2015, during the AANP National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Other Kentucky nurse practitioners inducted include Elizabeth Partin, Julianne Ewen and Kit Devine. The new FAANP members will continue the tradition of impacting national and global health through their outstanding contributions and uphold the mission of the AANP.
Lock serves as professor, director of faculty practice and coordinator of the primary care doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at the University of Kentucky. She provided leadership in the first Doctor of Nursing Practice program in the country and taught in the program since it began in 2001. In addition, Lock is co-director of the UK College of Nursing Norton Healthcare Academic Partnership, which will prepare 150 advanced practice nurse with the DNP degrees. She is currently heading up the development of a UK College of Nursing Clinic, which will provide health care for residents in rural Kentucky.
The FAANPs program was established by the AANP in 2000. The ANNP is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners of all specialties. It represents the interests of more than 205,000 NPs, including approximately 58,000 individual members and 200 organizations, providing a unified networking platform and advocating for their role as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered and personalized health care.
