Nurses Week Message from Dean Jean Giddens
National Nurses Week, May 6-12, is a time to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of nurses in striving to provide the best health care for everyone. They are compassionate, committed champions of quality care!
It’s not surprising that nurses have topped the annual Gallop Poll as the most trusted profession for the past 16 years. I am honored to be a nurse and would like to extend a warm thank you to my fellow nurses for all you do.
I especially want to recognize the VCU School of Nursing’s nursing faculty, students and alumni, as well as our partners at VCU Health, which employs 1,250 graduates of our school. They’ve made vital contributions in the clinical setting, the research environment and in scholarship. They’ve led national and international organizations, provided service to the underserved locally and worldwide, and advocated for health care reform to improve patient care. Their selfless efforts echo this year’s Nurses Week Theme: “Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence,” from the American Nurses Association.
The 2018 theme also aligns well with the VCU School of Nursing’s tradition of being a leader in nursing education and research. As we mark our school’s 125th anniversary this year, we’re proud of our role in advancing the nursing profession since 1893. We’ve educated thousands of nurses prepared to play a critical role on health care teams in Virginia and beyond. They embody our school’s mission of shaping the future of nursing through the power of education, discovery and collaboration.
Look toward the future, the VCU School of Nursing aims to play a greater role in supporting the increasingly complex needs of the health care system, while providing opportunities for students to fulfill their dream of becoming a nurse. We recently established the VCU School of Nursing 125th Anniversary Scholarship to raise $125,000 for student aid during this milestone year. If you’d like to support our efforts, visit www.support.vcu.edu/give/nursing
I’m grateful to lead the VCU School of Nursing at a time when nurses are progressively taking on greater roles in health care. From being on the front lines of patient care, improving care through research, working to enhance nursing’s impact through legislative action, and serving as health care leaders, they are dedicated to making a difference. Please join me in taking the time to acknowledge the important work nurses do each day.
Jean Giddens, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Dean and the Doris B. Yingling Endowed Chair
VCU School of Nursing
