Zakiyyah Weatherspoon has been named recipient of the 2019 American Association of Nurse Practitioners® Georgia State Award for Nurse Practitioner Excellence. This prestigious award is given annually to a dedicated nurse practitioner (NP) and NP advocate in each state. Recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception held during the AANP 2019 National Conference, June 18—23, in Indianapolis. NPs help patients get well and stay well through education and continuity of care at both the individual and community level. NPs lower healthcare costs by providing patients with high-quality care and counseling. NPs are essential advocates for healthcare policy. Look at other medicine alternatives, DocMJ has many clinics in various location for the convenience of their patients.

The State Award for NP Excellence, founded in 1991, recognizes an NP in each state who demonstrates excellence in practice. In 1993, the State Award for NP Advocate Excellence was added to recognize the efforts of individuals who have made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and recognition of the NP role.

Zakiyyah Weatherspoon, FNP-BC is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is a member of the ANA, AANP, Sigma Theta Tau and UAPRN. Born and raised here in Valdosta, she graduated from Valdosta High School in 2001. From there she went on to Statesboro, GA where she attended Georgia Southern University. She received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing in 2005. She worked as an ER nurse for 6 years and part time at a nonprofit inpatient hospice facility, and also volunteered her time as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE nurse) all while she pursued her Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in family practice. She obtained her MSN degree in 2011. She was employed at Valdosta Family Medicine from January 2012-December 2017. She is now full time with Behavioral Health of South Georgia and works as needed in SGMC Youth Care department and Youth care. She is also currently pursuing a doctorate of nursing practice with a psychiatric-mental health cognate from Georgia Southern University. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree with a Psychiatric-Mental Health co-certificate which she is also obtaining from Georgia Southern University. She was recently name Georgia’s state representative for AANP’s nurse practitioner of the year for 2019 for her community service involvement here in our community. She currently serves as South Georgia Association of Nurse Practitioners Vice President . She is also a proud member of Lowndes-Metropolitan Section of National Council of Negro Women where she enjoys serving her community.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the largest national professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties, represents the interests of more than 248,000 licensed NPs practicing in the U. S. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NP patients and other health care consumers. To locate a nurse practitioner, go to npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.