Letter From The Dean

Barbara Valanis was my first role model in nursing leadership — my dissertation advisor and a noted nurse, professor, epidemiologist and health services researcher who wrote the textbook, literally, about epidemiology in nursing and health care.

Now retired, she now writes murder mysteries. It might seem like a leap from nursing leader to mystery writer, but in reality, it isn’t. Patient care is often like a mystery that needs solving. The unknown twists and turns of a novel can be like working in health care today.

Being a leader in nursing requires a willingness to face the unknown edges of health care — to navigate a landscape that changes by the minute. And while all health professionals are needed in this effort, nurses are essential. The largest of all the professions, we also have the broadest reach; our work touches every aspect of health care. So, nurses must be able to lead, innovate and collaborate to ensure the best in clinical care, research, education and policy. Our communities deserve nothing less.

Understanding this reality, the School of Nursing centers leadership in all aspects of our work. Leadership is embedded in our curriculum, encouraged outside the classroom, and weaved into new school-wide programs. Our faculty members lead national professional organizations, head up large-scale grants and service initiatives, and lend their voices to national conversations on matters including health equity, environmental health, and women’s health. Our alumni span across the nation and world serving in a range of leadership positions. And we work mightily so our students cross the stage at graduation prepared to lead.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Emory Nursing, which outlines these efforts and shares the great things that have happened at the school over the past few months. We are grateful to all of you for your partnership with us.