Long-time MASCC member Judith (Judi) Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, was awarded the University of Minnesota’s 2018 Outstanding Achievement Award this past June. The award is conferred on graduates or former students of the university who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields or professions or in public service, and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership on a community, state, national, or international level. Dr. Johnson has had a long career as a tireless champion of patient education, which she believes is critical to successful cancer chemotherapy. Other areas of interest and research include psychosocial care for patients and their families, supportive care needs of adolescent and young adult survivors of cancer, spiritual care for cancer patients, the role of nurses in patient education and in following-up of chemotherapy patients, as well as guidelines for mucositis management.
Since 1980, Dr. Johnson has worked as a nurse at North Memorial Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1992, she founded HealthQuest, an organization dedicated to empowering patients who are living with challenging illnesses, such as cancer and stroke. Emphasis is on the adaptation process, learning to empower oneself, and education in how to be a well-informed consumer of healthcare options.
Dr. Johnson served as Associate Director of MASCC from 2005 to 2011 and as a member of MASCC’s Board of Directors from 1998 to 2004. She was one of the developers of the MASCC Oral Agent Teaching Tool (MOATT©) and a co-author of the MOATT© User Guide. As part of the Skin Toxicities Study Group, she was also involved in developing the MASCC EGFR Inhibitor Skin Toxicity Tool©. She is currently a member of MASCC’s Study Groups on Geriatrics, Education, and Psychosocial Issues.
Dr. Johnson holds a diploma in nursing from Augustana Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Rochester (New York), a Master’s degree in Public Health Nursing and a Doctorate in Adult Education from the University of Minnesota. She also has a Certificate in Chemical Counseling from the University of Minnesota and a Certificate in Oncology Nursing from the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, England.
In 1980, the American Cancer Society adopted Dr. Johnson’s PhD thesis as an education course called “I Can Cope.” American nurses quickly adopted this course for their cancer patients, and it has been implemented around the world. Dr. Johnson also launched a PhD program at Hokkaido University of Health Sciences in Sapporo, Japan and held a faculty position there from 1999 to 2004. Dr. Johnson served as the Oncology Nursing Society’s President from 1983 to 1987 and was appointed to the Board of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) in 1998 and 1999. She has served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing (APJON) since 2014.
Dr. Johnson has been awarded more than 20 grants, many for conducting research in patient education. She has also co-authored five books and has written over 125 articles, book chapters, and audiovisual productions. Among her numerous awards are that of Fulbright scholar, which led to patient education projects at Tianjin University and Cancer Center in China and Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. She has been honored with Distinguished Service Awards from the Oncology Nursing Society, the American Cancer Society, and the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care. She also received the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 1994.
