NHS Professor Selected As Fellow of American Academy of Nursing

Yearwood Specializes in Mental Health of Children, Immigrant Families

Washington, D.C.--Edilma L. Yearwood, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), has been selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

Yearwood, who specializes in mental health and psychiatric nursing, officially becomes a fellow at an induction ceremony on Nov. 10, during the academy’s annual meeting, held this year in Washington, D.C.

"This is an ultimate acknowledgment from my peers that I am making positive contributions to the nursing profession," said Yearwood. "In my work, I really want to move child mental health issues to the forefront."

"By that, I mean getting students excited about child mental health nursing and advocating for comprehensive quality care for children and adolescents," she added. "My particular area of interest is immigrant youth who still struggle with country-of-origin issues that we are not paying enough attention to once they arrive in the United States. These issues include consequences of poverty, violence, substance abuse, separation from family, and untreated psychiatric illnesses."

Selection criteria for this membership include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and health 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.

The academy is made up of more than 1,500 nursing leaders in education, management, practice, and research. Leadership positions held by academy fellows include university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; researchers and entrepreneurs; and practicing nurses.

"Selection as a fellow is a prestigious recognition and indicates a strong contribution to the nursing profession," said NHS Dean Bette Keltner, Ph.D., also a fellow. "Through innovative teaching and scholarly publication, Edilma contributes deeply to our mission, 'to improve the health and well being of all people.' Her work on health and mental health among children and immigrant families continues to advance important discourse."

Yearwood has served on the NHS faculty since 2002. Her scholarship focuses on child and adolescent mental health, health and mental health of immigrant Caribbean and Latin American families, youth empowerment, and cultural diversity. She also teaches undergraduate courses in psychiatric-mental health nursing. She publishes regularly in her field and currently serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. She is a certified advanced practice nurse in child and adolescent psychiatric-mental health nursing.

**About NHS: Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies translates science into outcomes that benefit the public's health. NHS lives its mission "to improve the health and well being of all people" through innovative educational and research programs. The school houses a multimillion-dollar research portfolio and includes the Departments of Health Systems Administration, Human Science, International Health, and Nursing, as well as the Center on Health and Education and--in partnership with Georgetown University Law Center--the Linda and Timothy O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.