What a month!
Online classes and virtual simulations
May saw the end to a distinctly different semester! Students, faculty and staff began their March spring break not knowing that the COVID-19 pandemic would result in quickly transitioning all classes to online and all clinical experiences to virtual simulations. With the goal of student support, faculty enthusiastically stepped up to the plate to assure that students could successfully complete all courses to move into the next semester or graduate. University teams worked diligently and tirelessly with the College of Nursing, focusing on many details and decisions to assure that students were supported during through the stress of the experience and all the changes they encountered.
During this same period, faculty and staff transitioned to working from home, managing the significant changes with great spirit and commitment. Once again, the ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵCollege of Nursing met the challenge head on to provide the unique experience of our ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵNurse.
May = Nurses
The month of May was all about nurses – International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, Nurses Week, Nurses Day, Student Nurses Day and nurses on the frontlines. Here are some of the highlights:
- On May 12, Pope Francis delivered a speech in honor of International Nurses Day. He thanked health care workers, particularly nurses, for their strength, sacrifice and service during COVID-19. .
- A recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article featured a of a ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵDNP nursing student working at Froedtert who helped Judge Derek Mosley, a ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵlaw alum.
- The story of Milwaukee twins who chose ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵCollege of Nursing over 37 other options received and national attention, including CBS Overnight News, Essence, BET, People, NY Post, and The Grio. These two outstanding, high potential students received many offers of acceptance and scholarships and chose ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵover all the others.
- Look for powerful stories of ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵNurses on the front lines fighting COVID-19, which you can find on the CON Facebook page:
- Brendan Blaney, a senior ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵCollege of Nursing student, shared as a student nurse during the coronavirus pandemic in honor of National Student Nurses Day, Friday, May 8.
Faculty Announcements -- Congratulations!
Effective July 2020, Dr. Jill Guttormson will become Interim Associate Dean, Academic Affairs. Dr. Shelly Malin will remain as Interim Director of the Health Systems Leadership Program.
Dr. Jill Guttormson
In addition, Dr. Madeline Schmidt will become Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs. Dr. Christine Shaw will continue her role as Clinical Associate Professor.
Dr. Madeline Schmidt
College of Nursing Launches New Strategic Plan
A new Strategic Plan has been launched by the College of Nursing and its faculty and staff, to guide directions over the next 3-5 years. Work on this plan began in summer of 2019, and approval occurred in February 2020. Dramatic changes in health care and higher education have set the stage for new expectations for the College, blending the rich tradition of our past and the exciting opportunities for our future. In full alignment with Beyond Boundaries, the University strategic directions, the College Strategic Plan was created by dedicated teams, using the latest of insights from community leaders, nursing science and beyond, and changing expectations from national accrediting and regulatory bodies.This plan will raise the bar on our impact in our communities. It also served as a guideline for our work in support of students throughout these past months and the COVID 19 circumstances.The plan is grounded in creating "The ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵNurse" at all levels of our programming. Students, faculty, staff, alums and community leaders have participated in defining the core characteristics of The ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵNurse, as we link that across our educational experience and find new ways to assure those outcomes.
Big Ideas, objectives and tactics have been highlighted, including:
• Excellence in Teaching and Learning
• Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Fostering Leadership in Practice
• Forming Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
• Expanding Research Engagement and Translation, and
• Growing the Number of ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵNurses across programs
You can anticipate hearing more about these exciting directions and their impact.