The unfinished nurse

alison schlenger

The Initiative on the Future of Nursing, led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine, has a new vision for revising our health care system. In their report, a panel of experts (including Anjli Aurora Hinman 06N 08MN) identified crucial themes for this vision: an emphasis on education, training, and advanced practice; improving our information infrastructure; and serving as full partners in redesigning health care.

When I read the report’s executive summary, I felt great pride and optimism in knowing that our school is leading the charge in securing the future of nursing. Led by Dean Linda McCauley, our faculty developed the accelerated BSN/MSN program, increasing our school’s capacity for educating nursing leaders. The program targets students with degrees in other fields.

Several faculty are strengthening the school’s partnerships with Emory Healthcare, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the CDC. These partnerships afford our students with additional venues for education, training, and research while improving patient care.

We also congratulate Twilla Haynes 80MN, who received the 2010 Emory Medal for her efforts to address the shocking deficits in Haiti’s health care system.

As we consider the future of nursing, let us never forget our past. The “mother” of nursing, Florence Nightingale, provided a timeless quote that embodies our school’s mission: “Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses.”

Alison Schlenger 07N 08MN
President, Nurses’ Alumni Association 

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winter 2011