Fannie Gaston-Johansson, PhD, RN, pioneering nurse educator and researcher, died Jan. 7 at 84.
Dr. Gaston-Johansson was a nurse faculty at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University from 1993 to 2014. She was the first Black woman to become a tenured professor at the university in 1998, according to a Jan. 12 article posted on the Johns Hopkins website.
Her research focused on health disparities, pain management, end-of-life care and coping strategies for women diagnosed with breast cancer. She developed the Pain-O-Meter, a tool to help patients communicate their pain to clinicians.
"Dr. Gaston-Johansson led a remarkable career as a trailblazing scientist, a brilliant researcher who elevated nursing in its rightful place as a science, and as a leader in developing new methods to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in academia," Hopkins Nursing Dean Sarah Szanton, PhD, MSN, said in the article. "She broke barriers, becoming the 'first' many times. Countless students and colleagues have benefited from her experience, leadership, and commitment to inclusion."