Two UNMC nurse faculty inducted as AAN fellows

Sarah Thompson, Ph.D.

Lani Zimmerman, Ph.D.

Two UNMC professors will soon receive one of the higest honors in nursing when they are named fellows at the American Academy of Nursing.

Lani Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Sarah Thompson, Ph.D., both of the College of Nursing, will be among 98 nurse leaders to receive the designation at the academy’s annual meeting in November in Atlanta.

“This is a very big honor for our faculty and college,” said Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. “Fellowship in the academy is one of the highest honors in nursing. It is reserved for those whose work has proven over time to influence the field in important ways, such as changing policy or directing clinical care.”

Each nominee must be sponsored by two current academy fellows. Selection is based, in part, on the extent to which nominees’ nursing careers influence health policies for the benefit of all Americans.

“It’s an honor to get into the academy,” said Dr. Zimmerman, professor in the College of Nursing-Lincoln. “It’s outstanding to be joining a group of very distinguished scholars.”

Among her accomplishments, Dr. Zimmerman has:

• Conducted studies that test different interventions to promote symptom management and early recovery in cardiac surgical patients;
  
• Developed the first graduate program for nurse practitioners in the Midwest; and
  
• Received more than $2.4 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and other granting agencies.

About the academy The academy is made up of more than 1,500 nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research. The academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. “The academy is composed of many of the nation’s top nursing executives, policymakers, scholars, researchers and practitioners,” said Pam Mitchell, Ph.D., president of the AAN. “Being selected as an academy fellow is an important recognition of one’s contributions to nursing and health care.”

Dr. Thompson, associate dean for academic affairs for the UNMC College of Nursing:

• Has worked to improve end-of-life care in nursing homes and provide education to enhance quality patient care;
  
• Is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the most productive scientists in the country; and
  
• Has received approximately $3.5 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and other granting agencies.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized for your achievements,” Dr. Thompson said. “I am thrilled to have received this honor and to have the chance to make a contribution to the field of nursing.”

Dr. Thompson said she is eager to support the AAN through her passion for improving nursing care through inter-professional collaboration.