Four Vanderbilt University School of Nursing faculty have been announced as 2023 American Academy of Nursing fellows. Assistant Professor Leanne Boehm, PhD’16, MSN’09, ACNS-BC, Professors Jennifer Kim, DNP, MSN’97, GNP-BC, GS-C, FNAP, FAANP, and Rolanda Johnson, PhD’98, and Assistant Professor Lori Schirle, PhD, CRNA, will be inducted into the academy on October 7 in Washington, DC. Being named a fellow is one of the highest distinctions the nursing profession bestows, as it recognizes the impact an individual has made on health, health care and nursing.
“This is a well-deserved and appropriate honor for each of these outstanding nurses,” said Dean Pamela Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH. “Each is a leader and scholar in her own area of expertise. Their contributions to critical care, older adult well-being, pain management and equity, diversity and inclusion make a difference in patients’ lives, nursing education and nursing culture. I look forward to their continued contributions to our profession and VUSN itself.”
Boehm’s research focuses on health and wellness of both patients and loved-ones following critical illness. Part of her work investigates delirium, including how delirium affects patients and their families and what can be done to combat its effects. She also researches the efficacy of telehealth services during recovery following intensive care visits.
Kim has been coordinating older adult health care courses for students at VUSN for more than two decades. She is the current president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association and was the founding president of its Middle Tennessee chapter. She is a past Hartford Institute Primary Care for Older Adults Scholar and Jonas Leadership Scholar.
Johnson is a national leader in equity, diversity and inclusion, and the co-founder and director of two leadership academies for diverse nurses. Earlier this year, she was recognized with Vanderbilt University’s Joseph A. Johnson Jr. Distinguished Leadership Professor Award in recognition of her commitment to culturally sensitive education and patient care. She co-founded Nashville’s chapter of the National Black Nurses Association and helps create inclusive teaching and training programs at the Vanderbilt School of Nursing.
Schirle, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, studies how to best achieve effective pain management in surgical populations while minimizing the risk of opioids. Currently, Schirle is investigating how a person’s underlying pain sensitivity influences their opioid use after total knee replacement. Her work has been supported by a National Institute of Nursing Research K23 and a seed grant from Vanderbilt University.
Boehm, Johnson, Kim and Schirle join three Vanderbilt School of Nursing alumni being inducted this year including Micah Skeens, PhD’18; Debbie Gregory, BSN’84 and Sandy Leake, MSN’89.