From Practitioner to Politics, with Rep. (and alumna!) Lauren Underwood

Watch Rep. Underwood’s fireside chat with Dean Patricia Davidson

Meet Congresswoman Lauren Underwood—representative for Illinois’s 14th congressional district. She’s also a nurse. And a 2009 MSN/MPH alum. And the youngest black woman ever elected to congress.

She and Dean Patricia Davidson sat for a fireside chat during Alumni Weekend. When asked what sets a Hopkins Nurse apart, Rep. Underwood responded:

“Johns Hopkins trains nurses to be leaders—not just the best clinician. They encouraged me to find out what my interests are, to do that, and gave me the tools to transform health care.”

The Q&A included questions:

  • What sparked your interest in politics?
  • 2020 is the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Can you tell us about your path from nursing to Congress, and how your experience as a nurse impacts your decisions there?
  • What have been your key projects or priorities since you were elected?
  • What challenges and opportunities do you face as the youngest member in Congress? And as a young black woman in congress?
  • How can nurses influence policy?
  • What is your favorite memory from your time at Johns Hopkins?
  • What defines a Hopkins Nurse?
  • Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. What progress stands out to you? What work still needs to be done?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SYDNEE LOGAN

Sydnee Logan is the Social Media and Digital Content Coordinator for Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She shares what’s going on with the world.