Johns Hopkins Nursing Giants to Retire

Future faculty will stand on their shoulders

Four revered members of the faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) will retire this year. Leaving very large shoes to fill are Jerilyn Allen, Phyllis Sharps, Elizabeth “Ibby” Tanner, and Kathleen White, each an innovator, a leader, and a groundbreaking nurse in her own right.

Professor Jerilyn Allen, SCD, MS, RN, FAAN, is known throughout the international nursing and medical communities for her research on the prevention of cardiovascular disease as well as beneficial lifestyle modifications for persons with or at high risk for the disease. She is also a highly regarded mentor, guiding and developing faculty and students within the schools of Nursing, Medicine, and Public Health at Johns Hopkins and universities internationally.

Professor Phyllis Sharps, PHD, MSN, RN, FAAN, has focused on the consequences of intimate partner violence on the physical and mental health of pregnant women and young children. Her groundbreaking DOVE (for Domestic Violence Enhanced Home Visitation) program keeps women safe simply by checking in—letting them know they aren’t alone. Through the House of Ruth Baltimore, she has worked to shield and offer a safer path forward to women and children fleeing violence. [More: Professor and Community Activist Pauses to Reflect.]

Professor Elizabeth Tanner, PHD, MS, RN, FAAN, has held joint appointments in the schools of Nursing and Medicine and served as core faculty in the Center for Innovative Care in Aging. She spent decades in community settings local and global improving care for aging or underserved older adults. She led curriculum development in JHSON’s gerontology nursing program and created a Geriatric Interest Group to foster inter-professional collaboration among Nursing, Public Health, and Medicine students.

Professor Kathleen White, PHD, MS, RN, FAAN, was part of the collaborative JHSON/Johns Hopkins Hospital team that developed the widely published, award-winning Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice Model and Guidelines. On the Maryland Health Quality and Cost Control Council, she helped make recommendations to state leaders on health care quality improvement and cost containment initiatives, facilitating collaborations in health care across the public and private sectors.