Dean's Message

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Our world has changed dramatically since the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S. in early 2020. As nurses were thrust into the spotlight during the worst global health crisis of our lifetime amid what WHO designated as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, our nursing colleagues risked their health and lives to provide care for their patients and our communities. Our students forged ahead, acutely aware of the increasingly critical role nurses play in the health and well-being of our communities. When families were unable to visit loved ones dying in hospitals and care facilities, nurses stepped in to provide comfort and human connection. And when the nation pivoted to vaccinations to quell the novel coronavirus, nurses, too, pivoted, educating the public about vaccinations, leading the opening and running of vaccination sites, and administering vaccines in order to help our country and our world begin to emerge from this cloak of darkness.

I am so grateful to nurses, and so proud of our noble profession, for taking charge, taking care and taking the lead.

In this issue, you will find stories about these heroic efforts. But you will also see the ways in which we are moving forward – in research, education, clinical practice and as a profession – taking with us the lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic, and acting to address our own shortfalls in issues related to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.  

We continue to ramp up our program of research, securing significant grant funding to address important issues such as improving care transitions in vulnerable homeless populations; coping with stress among adults living in low-income minoritized communities; and integrating behavioral health into rural and underserved primary care clinics, in addition to continuing work in several other vital areas.

You will also read about the ways in which we continue to enhance our students’ educational experience, such as expanding our dedicated education unit offerings with additional community partners, along with stories about how our incredibly resilient students went above and beyond in volunteerism and in clinical rotations despite personal and academic challenges they’ve recently faced.

There has been a palpable yearning for a return to “normal” – but as we move forward, we know, especially as nursing professionals, the great importance of lifelong learning, of empathy and action. Let us learn from these painful lessons of our past and present, commit ourselves to action, and move forward together for a better, brighter and more just tomorrow.