From the Dean's Desk
From the Dean's Desk
Dear friends,
When I speak at the College of Nursing commencement ceremonies, my remarks are traditionally inspired by a book. At our most recent commencement in December, that book was Taking care: The story of nursing and its power to change our world, by Sarah DiGregorio. DiGregorio’s perspective as a family member and a patient was spot on about the work nurses do and the transformative power of the field we have chosen. I highly recommend it.
The power of nursing was front and center this fall as we hosted the college’s 125th anniversary weekend, celebrating 125 years of care, education, leadership, and innovation. Attendees exchanged stories and memories from their shared pasts, while learning about current initiatives and new technologies in the field.
The power of our nursing program was recognized this fall as well, when our Bachelor of Science in Nursing was ranked #4 in the country (and #1 for public institutions) by US News & World Report. I am proud to say this is our third year in the top 10.
Looking toward the future, the college announced a goal of $70 million as part of the university-wide Together Hawkeyes campaign. We have raised nearly 60% of our goal, and I have full confidence we will surpass it.
Nursing has a need for innovative, forward-thinking leaders, and we are fortunate to have many here at the University of Iowa. Dr. M. Lindell Joseph, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAONL, professor, and director of our Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership programs is one of them. Dr. Joseph has a passion for building nurse leaders and lifting up creative and innovative problem-solvers who are working in the field. This passion propelled Dr. Joseph to serve as guest editor for the December 2023 issue of Nurse Leader, the official journal of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. She worked tirelessly to pull together an inspiring issue filled with examples of transformative leadership and problem-solving taking place here at the college and with our partners at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Wishing you a wonderful 2024. Go Hawks!
Julie Zerwic, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN
Kelting Dean and Professor
“Under Dean Zerwic's guidance, the UI College of Nursing has flourished, marking a new era of innovation, interdisciplinary research, and leadership in nursing education. Her commitment to collaboration and excellence has enriched both the university and the broader field of nursing."
-University of Iowa Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel
Cover Story: Dr. Julie Zerwic, a leader among leaders
M. Lindell Joseph
I have been amazed by the importance of the broadening experiences of higher education in enabling social change within healthcare. I am in awe of how faculty and leadership within colleges and universities align with stakeholders to reenvision future workforces, technologies, and treatments and leverage this for better patient care. At the University of Iowa, faculty are expected to teach, engage in scholarship, and provide service in areas that will advance nursing and healthcare, both nationally and internationally. This empowerment to advance nursing and healthcare speaks to the college's leadership and individual leadership that faculty provide to the community, Iowa, and the world.
Julie Zerwic, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN became the University of Iowa College of Nursing Kelting Dean in fall 2017. Highly regarded in the field of nursing, Dean Zerwic is recognized as a national leader on issues of diversity and equity in health care. Since arriving in Iowa, she has led creation of a strategic plan and reorganization of the college, doubled enrollment of under-represented minority students, successfully recruited diverse faculty, increased alumni engagement, and launched an ambitious capital campaign. Her time has also seen the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranked in the top ten in the country by US News and World Report for three consecutive years, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
This interview for Nurse Leader highlights the work of Dean Zerwic, who has embraced the need to be impactful and transformative through her interactions with students, faculty, colleagues, and community stakeholders.
Driving transformation in practice and academia: reimagining wicked problems
Editorial by M. Lindell Joseph
The wicked problems around autonomy, health care workforce, and access to care continue to persist even with the best ideas to date. Clearly, forces are at work that impede or prevent sustainability. As we find new solutions or evidence to mitigate these wicked problems, we must rethink them through a refreshed lens. In this issue, you will see how creative and innovative authors are reimagining wicked problems with an eye toward greater effectiveness. Nine articles within this issue are provided to mitigate wicked problems using strategic power, future workforce, new settings, simulation, evidence, and implementation science. Read more
Young nurse leader program: inspiring the next generation for formal nursing leadership roles
Daniel T. Lose, M. Lindell Joseph
The Young Nurse Leader program combined educational sessions, precepted experiences, and self-reflection to enhance student nurses’ leadership knowledge and skills, while providing professional enrichment of the practicing nurse leaders who precepted, coached and mentored the students.
Unit partners: creative role to recruit and retain students while delivering quality care
Julie Boothby, Christina Woline, Daniel T. Lose, Jessica McDaniel, Anita Nicholson
Unprecedented employment challenges inspired one group of leaders to develop an innovative, cost-effective unit partner role to address turnover rates and support demanding workloads.
Driving change: a case study of a DNP leader in residence program in a gerontological center of excellence
Misty Brooks, Harleah G. Buck
With ongoing innovation and application of the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, the DNP Leader in Residence program presented in this case study holds immense potential to help better prepare 21st century nurse leaders capable of driving positive change within complex healthcare systems.
Leadership for an innovative practice role: the dually certified nurse practitioner
Teresa Judge-Ellis, Brittany Hamm, Jennifer Wittman, Mary S. Dirks, Anne Gentil-Archer, Carol A. Watson, Kathleen C. Buckwalter
National reports such as the Future of Nursing, encouraged the provision of care by nurses especially to vulnerable populations. Dually certified NPs are ideally prepared to provide care to high-needs/high-cost patients. This article is a beginning step to elucidating the dual certification role.
Leading improvements in rural healthcare through mobile simulation
Jacinda L. Bunch, Cormac T. O’Sullivan
Simulation in Motion – Iowa (SIM-IA) is a high-fidelity simulation education for healthcare providers throughout Iowa. SIM-IA is administered by the University of Iowa College of Nursing with mobile simulation trucks in Iowa City (east), Des Moines (central), and Sioux City (west). SIM-IA’s goal is to provide simulation continuing education to improve patient outcomes.
Leveraging implementation science using decision support technology to drive meaningful change for nurses nursing leadership
Anna Krupp, Karen Dunn Lopez
Technology, such as clinical decision support, can play a role in supporting nurses’ decision making, but understanding the complexity and current challenges in nurse decision-making is needed to guide the implementation of technology interventions focused on supporting effective decision-making in practice and leadership.
Leadership coaching to improve nursing unit practice councils effectiveness
Emily K. Ward, M. Lindell Joseph, Kirsten Hanrahan
A Department of Nursing had a mature shared governance (SG) program with many thriving departmental-based SG groups. However, structural processes and guidance for unit-based SG groups were lacking and demonstrated a need for improvement.
The role of the wider organization and community in meaningful nurse manager recognition
Mary Beth Hovda Davis, M. Lindell Joseph, Deb Zimmermann, Danielle Ward
Nurse managers hold a vital and complex role in the organization, and intentional efforts to recognize their demanding work and achievements need to be engrained in institutional processes that transcend the unit level and the overall organization.
A call for more nurse leaders in the c-suite
Kimberly D. Hunter
Given a keen interest in improving both patient care and financial performance, now is the time for healthcare organizations to recruit CEOs from the ranks of highly qualified nurse leaders.
Congratulations, 2023 Fellows!
Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing:
Adjunct Assistant Professor Kim Bergen-Jackson, Associate Professor Yamnia Cortés, Associate Professor Stephanie Gilbertson White
Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology:
Associate Professor (Clinical) Heather Bair
Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners:
Associate Professor (Clinical) Daniel Crawford, Associate Professor (Clinical) Daniel Wesemann
Fellows of the Gerontological Society of America:
Sally Mathis Hartwig Professor in Gerontological Nursing Harleah Buck, Associate Professor Wen Liu
Mark your calendar - One Day for Iowa!
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Supporting student success is the theme for the College of Nursing on One Day for Iowa. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to support our efforts to increase the number of nurses and make earning a higher education degree more obtainable.
Fall 2023 undergraduate commencement
Ninety-three students, 76 in the BSN pre-licensure programs and 17 in the RN-BSN program, graduated from the College of Nursing on December 16. Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient Monica Samples (20BSN) gave the keynote address, and Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of the University College, conferred the degrees.
Cortés, Madlock-Brown receive NIH grants
Associate Professor Charisse Madlock-Brown received an award from the NIH All of Us Research Program, as a partner in the establishment of the Center for Linkage and Acquisition of Data (CLAD). The CLAD will connect new types of information, such as environmental data, to All of Us participant data to help researchers better understand the drivers of health and disease.
The NIH funded project led by Associate Professor Yamnia Cortés will assess the sociocultural stressors associated with arterial stiffness, a key indicator of cardiovascular health, in perimenopausal Latinas and determine whether resilience factors can modify these associations.
In Won Heo
Program: RN-BSN
Graduation date: December 2023
Current position: RN, Cardiology Unit, UIHC
Future plans: UI College of Nursing Adult/Gerontology Acute Care DNP program, beginning fall 2024
Why nursing?
I was a patient at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2006 when I miscarried my first child 10 days before his birth. Because of the massive bleeding, I was in hemorrhagic shock. I was on the edge of death, but the healthcare professionals at UIHC literally saved my life.
The doctor who cried with me after I miscarried, the nurse who worked long past her 12-hour shift, the medical staff who shouted and ran to save me, the nursing assistants who softly and tenderly washed my bloody body – those people who gave their best and were passionate about their profession made it possible for me to be here today. Just as they saved my life 18 years ago, I, as a nurse, want to support and help somebody who is suffering from their illness to heal.
What made you want to get your BSN?
When I started working as a bedside nurse, I knew that my practical skills were getting better, but I felt something was missing. I wanted to feel more confident to care for my patients better.
I also realized that nurses can use their nursing skills in many ways in the healthcare industry as leaders. I thought that the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program would help me improve my critical thinking and to be a better professional leader in nursing.
It’s rewarding to see that I’ve grown so much as a professional.
Tell us your news!
Have you started a new job, gone back to school, or earned an award? Did you have a baby, run a marathon, or write a screenplay? Do you just want to update your former classmates about where you are these days? We want to hear it all!
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