The American Academy of Nursing recently selected 116 outstanding nurse leaders for induction as Fellows. The induction ceremony was held Nov. 13 during the Academy's 37thAnnual Meeting and Conference that was held in Washington, D.C.

Carol Sedlak

Kent State University Professor of Nursing Carol Sedlak, director, nurse educator program, is one of the professionals who received the honor.

"It is an honor to receive recognition from the American Academy of Nursing for my accomplishments in nursing, especially as a leader, scholar and researcher in the area of orthopaedic nursing science," Sedlak says. "I am especially grateful for the support that the College of Nursing at Kent State University has provided for my success."

Sedlak's research is in bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis in men and women. She focuses on work that will reduce health care workers' musculoskeletal injuries while lifting and moving patients, a subject she feels is increasingly important as society ages.

Sedlak says that she looks forward to advancing her research in order to continue to inform health policy and practice in her focused area of orthopaedic nursing.

Being selected for the academy is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of nursing.

"Academy Fellows are truly experts. The Academy Fellowship represents the nation's top nurse researchers, policymakers, scholars, executives and practitioners," says Catherine Gilliss, academy president.

Selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health care.

Each nominee must be sponsored by two current Academy Fellows. The new Fellows are selected by a panel composed of elected and appointed Fellows, and selection is based in part on the extent to which nominees' nursing careers influence health policies and health care delivery for the benefit of all Americans.

Kent State alumna Becky Patton, past president of the American Nurses Association, was also inducted as a Fellow this year.