When Janet Johnston was looking for a place to get her master’s degree some 25 years ago, she wanted to find a city that also had a children’s hospital.

Janet Johnston, an assistant professor in pediatrics, talks with social work student Laura McLester. Recently, Johnston was honored for her outstanding record, work ethic and contributions to the improvement of the overall nursing program at UAB with the national Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Preceptor Award.

The Booneville, Miss., native quickly narrowed her choices to Memphis, Tenn., and Birmingham. UAB and Children’s Hospital won her over. She began working at Children’s Hospital in 1982 in the intensive-care unit and the emergency room and earned her master’s here in 1988.

Johnston shifted gears in 1989, moving off the floor full time and into the position of assistant professor of pediatrics. In this role, Johnston has been a preceptor, mentoring master’s-level nursing students at UAB.

Recently, she was honored for her outstanding record, work ethic and contributions to the improvement of the overall nursing program at UAB with the national Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Preceptor Award. The inaugural award, established by the Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Faculties, recognizes a pediatric nurse-practitioner preceptor who has made significant contributions to the education of other pediatric nurse practitioners.

“It’s an honor to be considered for such an award, let alone be selected as the winner,” Johnston says. “I really feel like the award is a reflection of the team approach we have here. It’s a great place to do training for students, but it also takes the whole division to train and support the students.”

On-the-job training
Johnston has 30 years experience in a variety of pediatric nurse settings, including working in a mission hospital in Yemen prior to joining UAB. Her main focus here has been to care for children with chronic pulmonary conditions.

As a preceptor, Johnston assists students in their professional development and helps them create effective approaches and management strategies to care for children and families in a practice setting.

She also is the only nursing faculty member on a training grant for the Pediatric Pulmonary Center for which she is responsible for students’ clinical instruction. The center is one of only seven in the United States.

“Our goal is to train leaders in the field of pediatric pulmonary,” Johnston says. “It’s nice because my job is designed for me to be a mentor.”

Deserving of the recognition
Jean Ivey, D.S.N., associate professor of nursing, solicited nominations from students and faculty in nominating Johnston for the Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Preceptor Award. Ivey praises the work Johnston has done with nursing students, and says she is more than deserving of the recognition.

“I just think she’s an outstanding preceptor,” Ivey says. “The students who go with her always tell us how much they learn and how much they enjoy working with her. She’s very knowledgeable, very approachable. If they need help with something she helps them, but she always gives them opportunities to work independently, which builds their self-confidence.”

Johnston says she has been blessed to work with some great doctors, nurses and faculty here who play a part in laying the groundwork for success with students.

“We are an interdisciplinary team, and we’ve got a long track record of training students,” Johnston says. “Students feel supported in their work, and with opportunities to work with an interdisciplinary team they can see firsthand the contributions other make and learn from them.”