Professor Fannie Gaston-Johansson, PhD, RN, FAAN, was honored in November 2006 for her accomplishments as Dean at Göteborg University in Sweden. During her four-year appointment, she launched the first doctoral program in nursing and established the school’s research focus on patient symptom experiences and symptom management for acute and chronic illness.
At the School of Nursing at Göteborg, the largest university in Scandinavia, a two-day public tribute was held for Gaston-Johansson. Ceremonies included receipt of “The Apple of Knowledge” and a symposium to profile the program of research and doctoral education launched by Gaston-Johansson in 2000. To date, 60 students are en-rolled in the doctoral program; six have already received their PhDs, and another 10 students will be awarded doctoral degrees in 2007.
Gaston-Johansson’s work in Sweden and the U.S. has led to both national and international recognition for her contributions to the science of nursing. She is the first nurse to be elected to The Royal Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, a Swedish scholarly organization established in 1753 that serves as a forum for humanistic learning. Gaston-Johansson was also the first African American female to become full professor with tenure at Johns Hopkins University, where she has held the Elsie M. Lawler Endowed Chair since 1993.