A Year to Remember
What a difference a year makes. To think, at this time last year we were hunkering down amidst the initial spikes in COVID-19 cases. We were reeling from the unthinkable killing of George Floyd. We were swiftly transitioning in-person to virtual education and finding new, creative…sometimes challenging and painful…ways of navigating our new realities.
While we’re not out of the woods, yet…we find ourselves a year later entering a place of relief, reflection and recovery. Healthcare workers have done the amazing work of educating communities and vaccinating more than 60% of adults and adolescents, leading to reduced COVID cases and deaths each month and relaxed restrictions on mask wearing and social distancing. We saw the criminal justice system work the way it should, holding accountable those who have done wrong. And we find our school of nursing on the precipice of transition as I prepare to embark on my next adventure at Vanderbilt School of Nursing and Interim Dean Pam Slaven-Lee takes the helm with a newly-minted four-year strategic plan and the support of a dynamic leadership team, faculty and staff.
As I reflect on my six years at GW Nursing, it is with such joy and satisfaction at the things we’ve accomplished together and the progress we’ve made. It has been such an amazing chapter of my life. And this last year, in particular, has been a reminder of all that is possible working with the talented faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and donors of the GW School of Nursing.
Last August, as the COVID pandemic raged on, we saw the GW School of Nursing take the lead in planning, building and running a highly effective COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinic that served as an invaluable learning experience for A.B.S.N. students, while providing a vital healthcare service for the GW community. We saw faculty embrace the “silver linings” of online learning to breathe new life into courses. And we saw our community come together, virtually, for milestone events like our 10th anniversary gala, the inaugural GW Digital Health Summit, and our second annual Media Summit, to name a few.
This year has also brought a renewed focus on research at GW Nursing with the influx of more than $1.5 million in funding for projects ranging from how to reduce maternal mortality, to ways of mitigating liver disease, to strategies for improving clinical operations aboard military ships during a pandemic. We also have two cohorts of Ph.D. students working toward becoming the next wave of groundbreaking researchers in areas such as addressing the lack of quality care for pregnant persons, disparities in healthcare treatment among mental health patients, the dearth of diversity and cultural competency in nursing, and how to ensure better health outcomes for older adults.
We have also found time this year to engage with our alumni and celebrate their accomplishments, as you’ll see in our highlights of Dr. Valerie Strockbine and GW Monumental Alumna Dr. Mary-Michael Brown.
This has been an unprecedented year, filled with challenges, opportunities, successes and failures. But, above all, our GW Nursing community stayed true to itself, supported each other and found a path forward. This issue aims to capture some of that strength, resilience, innovation and tenacity. Please enjoy our spring issue.
Pamela R. Jeffries
Ph.D., RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH
Dean | School of Nursing
The George Washington University