This was the Year that Was: A Scrapbook

2011 has been marked by success, accomplishment, and transformative progress at the School of Nursing. Best of all, it’s been a year of celebration.

We reached #1 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of nursing graduate schools. The credit for the big climb from #4 in 2008 goes to our outstanding faculty, incredible students and supportive staff. We also rose in the same ranking from #2 to #1 in Community/Public Health programs and from #7 to #5 in Nursing Service Administration. And we’re : #4 among nursing schools in NJH funding; ranked among the top four in all criteria for PAD programs by the National Research Council; and #6 in faculty scholarly productivity among nursing schools – many of which have double our number of faculty.

The work of our new and established Centers contributed to the year’s many highlights. The new Center for Innovative Care in Aging had joined the centers of Global Nursing, Cardiovascular Health, and Interdisciplinary Salivary Research to promote innovation, capacity development, and advocacy for the advancement of nursing education, research, practice, and health policy worldwide.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Institute of Medicine report on The Future of Nursing is driving our initiatives to address the future challenges nurses face in a changing environment and economy.

p4_Graduation
Our 344 graduating Students are finding jobs – most in less than 90 days – or are continuing their nursing education full time (See story, Survey Says).
The entering baccalaureate class of 2013 enthusiastically signed up to participate in a nationwide Simulation Study that will follow 1,000 students from 10 nursing schools.

 

The 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps offered opportunities throughout the year to honor the 380 graduates of our Coverdell Peace Corps Fellows program.

A  grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust establishes a patient safety and quality of care fellows program and supports one of our highest priorities: Student Financial Aid.

Five, new, full-time faculty joined our ranks: Nancy Hodgson PhD, RN; Shawna Mudd, DNP, CRNP; Ellen Ray, DNP, CNM; Andrea Parsons Schram, DNP, CRNP; and Martha Sylvia, PhD, MBA, RN.

Four faculty were promoted to professor: (below, from left to right)

In 2012 the School will move to all accelerated Bachelor’s programs (See story, Switching Gears). Our Academic Forecasting Task Force is exploring methods for pioneering new educational approaches that will allow future nurses more efficient avenues to enter the field–and to develop advance practice and research skills as soon as possible.

Our revised and revitalized Strategic Plan sets a deliberate and intentional emphasis on balancing multiple growth opportunities with space constraints, a difficult economy, and our other two top priorities: 1. A building addition 2. Diversified revenue streams

Jamie, me, and Provost Minor at the Journey to Excellence

Jamie Kelley, our new associate dean for development and alumni relations, arrived just in time to celebrate our Journey to Excellence at a gala dinner. Jamie replaced Fiona Newton who moved to the University’s development team.

Kelly Brooks

We said farewell this year to Kelly Brooks, our Johns Hopkins Nursing editor, who–after bringing this magazine to its top status in nursing media–has become an editor for a new health magazine, Be Well. This issue welcomes our new editor, Pamela McComas.

Pamela McComas

As the year draws to a close and we prepare for an equally successful 2012, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and I send you our greetings of the season.

Martha N. Hill