Executive Dean’s Blog
March 17, 2021
Speaking out and Standing up to Racism
I have watched with grave concern over the past several months the increase in hate crimes and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Last Tuesday’s hate-infused murder of innocent people in Atlanta cannot be ignored. I join with all across the university in mourning their tragic deaths by speaking out and standing…
March 9, 2021
A Year of Learning Differently
Today marks one year since the COVID-19 pandemic required us to rapidly shift from in-person to mostly virtual education and administration. In the 365 days since, we’ve learned a lot. We learned that this school community and our clinical partners are remarkably resilient and creative. When asked to “learn differently”, “research differently” or “work differently,” you…
March 8, 2021
March 8th is International Women’s Day
It’s a day of both celebration and contemplation. Celebration of all that women have accomplished, and contemplation of the work to come in ensuring equity of opportunity, respect, and freedom in every community around the globe. This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme is “Let’s Choose to Challenge.” It’s an invitation for women and men…
February 17, 2021
February is Heart Health Month
Nurses don’t miss a beat when it comes to heart health. During American Heart Month, held each February, it is important to promote cardiovascular health and consider the many ways nurses are engaged in these efforts. When it comes to heart health, nurses are involved in every aspect, from prevention to treatment, and in ways…
February 16, 2021
Nursing Program Challenges
For next fall’s entering undergraduate class, the UW School of Nursing received almost 10 times as many applications for its bachelor of science in nursing program as we had admission spaces. Similar scenarios are playing out at nursing schools across the country. Consider, for a moment, that every year more than 50,000 eager, qualified applicants…
February 1, 2021
Celebrating and honoring Black History Month
It is often said that to look forward, we must look back. As we celebrate Black History Month, we intend to try and do both. As a school, we will take time to honor the history of Black leaders in healthcare, notably nurses like Mary Eliza Mahoney and Estelle Massey Osborne. Both made their mark…
January 20, 2021
Inauguration 2021
It’s a new day. With a new national administration, we can nurture hope for an agenda that places an emphasis on and access to health (mental and physical) and health care. This emphasis, by default, places nursing and nursing research at the front and center more than ever before. In addition to nurses in the…
January 19, 2021
Dr. Ben Danielson
On December 20, 2020, Dr. Ben Danielson, a pillar of the Seattle medical community, resigned from his long-held position as Director of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. Dr. Danielson cited institutionalized racism and a lack of change in the organization for his departure. While processing this devastating news, several School of Nursing staff and faculty…
January 15, 2021
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Monday, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We can best do that with actions directed at achieving the goals he so eloquently set out for us. This is and should be a “working holiday,” because there is considerable work to be done. As last summer’s Black Lives Matter…
January 4, 2021
Welcome to Winter Quarter
Happy New Year, and welcome back from a holiday break that I hope you were able to enjoy as fully as possible. Though we call it a “break,” many of our students used the time to volunteer their professional skills to administer the initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine to hundreds of health care workers at…
November 23, 2020
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
During Native American Heritage month, we should pause and remember that Native American populations have been among the most severely affected by the COVID pandemic in the US. The CDC reports that, “In 23 states with adequate race/ethnicity data, the cumulative incidence of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among AI/AN (American Indian/Alaska Native) persons was 3.5 times that…
November 10, 2020
Remembering our Veterans
We recently had a presidential election. Thanks to decades of men and women willing to serve their country, your right to vote in that election was preserved. It’s worth remembering that on Veterans Day, November 11. Military veterans are owed our gratitude and a lot more. Whether they fought in a war or not, each…
November 9, 2020
Democracy was the Ultimate Victor
The good news from the election is that once again, democracy was the ultimate victor. Despite efforts to thwart or distort it, despite the threat of a pandemic, the will of more than 140 million people was heard. It was a challenging, divisive election, yet even in the difficult aftermath I see much to be…
October 30, 2020
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Clinical Preceptors!
Preceptors are a unique combination of clinical coach, counselor, educator, and cheerleader. They volunteer to provide clinical oversight as advanced nursing students move from classroom to bedside. It is one thing to talk in a classroom about elements of patient care; it is another to put all that has been taught into practice. A very…
September 24, 2020
National Latinx Heritage Month
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, through October 15, it is important to consider not only the contribution Latinx nurses have made and are making every day to healthcare, but also the importance of seeing that we have a fully inclusive educational environment so the next generation of nurses will reflect who we are as…
September 21, 2020
World Alzheimer’s Day
Today is World Alzheimer’s Day. Amid a pandemic that has had a disproportionate impact on older people, it’s a good time to remember that dementia caregivers—most often family members—are in urgent need of guidance and support by clinicians, because many perform skilled nursing care tasks at home for which they are untrained and unsupported. Today,…
September 10, 2020
What an extraordinary 2019-2020
Greetings UW School of Nursing Community: This was an extraordinary year for the School of Nursing, the University of Washington, and the world. The faculty, students, and staff of the School of Nursing did a remarkable job of responding to the countless challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. And you came together as a community to…
August 18, 2020
19th Amendment
One hundred years ago today the 19th amendment was adopted by the final state needed for its ratification, giving 26 million women the right to vote. Many, many brave and determined women of course contributed to what now seems an obvious outcome. Some advocated at the local, state, and federal levels. Some took to the…
July 30, 2020
Returning to Facebook
Last month, I announced that we would suspend posting on Facebook and Instagram in solidarity with #StopHateForProfit. The response we received from our School of Nursing community was overwhelming and surprising. Rather than moving away from these platforms, a number of students, staff, and faculty urged us to instead consider leaning on these companies by…
June 30, 2020
Looking Ahead to Autumn Quarter
As we engage in preparations for the Autumn quarter, our goal is clear, and our strategy continues to evolve. As President Cauce has outlined, a plan is emerging for how classes and other educational functions will take place next quarter. But that is today’s plan, subject to change at any moment as we all take…
June 26, 2020
#StopProfitforHate
In solidarity with #StopHateForProfit, a movement by businesses, academic institutions (including the UW), and individuals nationwide who are expressing discomfort and displeasure at the refusal of the leadership at Facebook to identify and eliminate hate speech from their platforms, the School of Nursing is taking a hiatus from posting to Facebook and Instagram on our…
June 19, 2020
In Honor of Juneteenth
From George Floyd’s tragic death to our recent conversations about antiracism, there are many voices saying—and many acknowledging—that there is much work to be done in order to finally and fully address the issue of racism that so hinders and disables our society. Some of those voices express publicly and communally the pain people feel…
June 18, 2020
Healthcare will benefit from the Dreamers
About 650,000 people today saw their futures returned to them when the Supreme Court ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will remain in place, at least for the immediate future. Some of those people were 10-year-olds in 2012 when President Obama issued the executive memorandum that created DACA. Today, they are…
June 17, 2020
Another Step Towards Ending Discrimination
Until Monday afternoon, it was legal in more than half the states in this country to fire someone for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual. That ended with a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling banning such discrimination as a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (Title VII). Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said…
June 11, 2020
Thank You for an Extraordinary Year
As this academic year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to say “thank you” and to consider all that went right, all that was gained, and all that we—collectively and individually—accomplished. This year’s accomplishments deserve to be fully recounted and will be highlighted in our annual Year in Review, which will…
June 10, 2020
UW School of Nursing Stands in Solidarity This Week
Extraordinary circumstances merit an extraordinary response. The death of George Floyd has catalyzed and galvanized the country’s emotions around the issues of racism and inequality. Some have marched. Some have confronted those in the power structure they hold responsible. Some have come together to discuss or dissent. Some have withdrawn to the solitude of their…
May 29, 2020
Nurses have a responsibility to lead for change
We are saddened, appalled, angered, and above all concerned about the events that led to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not abstract concepts or politically correct ideologies—they are values that must be fully embraced by everyone, or the lives of tens of millions of people in this country…
May 13, 2020
Congratulations to 2020 Nurses of Influence Awardees
Every academic discipline and every profession has individuals who are leaders. They lead in many ways—by providing new ideas, by advancing their profession, by being a visionary who defines new paths, or by being particularly adept at what they do and thereby inspiring greatness in others. We annually recognize local Nurses of Influence. These are…
May 4, 2020
Outstanding Husky Nurses
It’s always gratifying when School of Nursing faculty, alumni, or students are honored for their exception achievements. Today, I have two reasons to be gratified—alumnae Patty Hayes, and Bothell campus faculty member Mabel Ezeonwu. My excitement, pride, and respect were boundless when I was informed that UW School of Nursing alum Patty Hayes was been…
May 2, 2020
Gov. Inslee Proclaims May as Nurses Month
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a proclamation declaring this Nurses Month in Washington, adding to the national and international chorus of recognition and praise for the role of nurses in our healthcare system and their unique role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic—a role that has also been recognized by the World Health Organization…
April 14, 2020
Announcing the COVID-19 Clinical Partnership
Adversity is a challenge but when confronted it can also be a catalyst. Clinical placements are a critical part of every nurse’s education. Traditionally, nurses at all levels spend time working at hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities under the supervision of preceptors. This enables them to safely develop their skills and expand their…
March 31, 2020
Congratulations WSNA Hall of Fame Inductees
Congratulations to two of our Husky Nurses who have been inducted into Washington State Nurses Association Hall of Fame. The award ceremony was to happen this month but given the circumstances it has been postponed until August. This year they recognized Dr. Nancy Fugate Woods, Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus and assistant professor Biobehavioral Nursing…
March 23, 2020
An impressive winter quarter
Dear Colleagues, Faculty, and Staff, I would like to express my utmost appreciation for your dedication to the School of Nursing, especially during this unprecedented time. Despite the recent challenges of COVID-19, we end the winter quarter with 16 pages of impressive accomplishments. Our consistently innovative and distinguished approaches to nursing practice, education, and science…
March 20, 2020
SoN Spring Quarter Will Be Held Remotely
Dear UW School of Nursing Community, Following President Ana Mari Cauce’s announcement, the UW School of Nursing will extend ALL operations of the student, staff, and faculty via remote learning environments through the end of the spring quarter on June 12. Soon you will receive follow-up emails from the SoN Executive Team members with specific…
March 16, 2020
We Are Honored
The UW School of Nursing was recently ranked #1 among public and private schools of nursing offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (tied with Columbia University, School of Nursing), and #2 among public schools that offer a master’s degree (tied for #6 overall, public and private schools of nursing). The annual US News and…
March 8, 2020
Congratulations to Nathan Dreesmann, Nursing Magnuson Scholar
I am pleased to announce that School of Nursing student Nathan Dreesmann has been named one of this year’s Magnuson Scholars. The award is given annually to one student from each of the six UW Health Sciences schools. It recognizes both achievement and promise, and is one of the highest University honors. Magnuson Scholars receive…
International Women’s Day
Today, March 8 is International Women’s Day. It is a time to pause and consider the role that women play globally in making the world a better place to live. It is also a time to recognize how far we have yet to go in terms of creating societies that are truly equal. The International…
March 6, 2020
Novel Coronavirus information and going virtual
Acknowledging President Ana Mari Cauce’s message about addressing the growing concerns of the spread of the novel coronavirus, the UW School of Nursing (Seattle campus) will proactively shift ALL normal operations of the staff, student, and faculty to virtual environments commencing Monday, March 9. Please note, going virtual there will be no disruption to our…
March 2, 2020
UW and Coronavirus preparations
I encourage everyone to read President Cauce’s message here, and to carefully consider her suggestions for action. As you will see from the President’s comments, reasonable caution is encouraged, and overreaction or lack of compassion is discouraged. Know that the state and local health teams, including a wide range of UW resources (including FAQs) are…
February 3, 2020
Black History Month
As we begin the first week of Black History Month, this is a time to reflect on the particular challenges and struggles of Black nursing professionals. It is not easy for anyone to become a nurse. For far too long, it was particularly difficult for African Americans to have access to the education, collegial support,…
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