September 24, 2019
Welcome Students!
What an exciting time of year! There’s a slight chill in the air, students are back in full force, and the faculty and staff are ready to prepare the next generation of nurses.
We interviewed a few graduates from the Class of 2019, to learn about their experience in the UW School of Nursing and what advice they would give to other nursing students. Check it out:
This year is particularly special as the World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife,” in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who did much to enhance the nursing profession.
Many nursing organizations and institutions will be celebrating the breadth and depth of the role that nurses play in providing care, conducting research that leads to best practices, improving the health and well-being of the community through developing policies and legislation, and teaching the next generation of nurse leaders.
The University of Washington School of Nursing has taken a leadership role in raising the status and profile of nurses and is a co-lead on the Nursing Now USA initiative that was launched across our country in April 2019. We are working together with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing, the American Nurses Association and the United States Public Health Service Chief Nurse to empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges. Please watch for more about this initiative and associated events throughout the academic year.
Our School was also one of three sites selected to host the National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing 2020-2030 effort. Distinguished committee members came to Seattle to conduct site visits on Tuesday, August 6th. They traveled in two groups with one visiting clinics, facilities, and hospitals in Seattle and the other group went to Kitsap County. Then, on Wednesday, August 7th, the NAM hosted a town hall that focused on High Touch High Tech. The event was extremely well attended and our school received excellent visibility by being part of this effort to gather information and input to produce the Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report that will come out next year. Learn more here
As we embark on this new academic year, I challenge each of you to strive to do your very best, to make connections with our esteemed faculty and staff, and to help each other along the journey. Nursing is a wonderful profession and I’m so pleased that you have chosen to be a part of it. I hope you have a fantastic year and wish you all the success possible.