Developing Experts and Leaders

Leadership is more than just a flashy title after your name and a big office—it’s the ability to inspire others toward a common purpose. But leadership without expertise is a false promise—a revolutionary nurse combines people-centered care and cultural competence with problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and an appetite for knowledge that goes beyond the basics. And that’s a Penn Nurse.

Penn Nursing’s education program uses hands-on mentored instruction to transform what happens in the classroom to what happens in the clinical setting and beyond. Our faculty are at the forefront of science, technology, and patient care and bring their expertise to future nurse leaders. The vision for the future is to invigorate an already competitive and high caliber program, evaluate programs at all levels, and implement changes in core competencies and essentials recommended by the AACN. And it all starts with developing experts and leaders in our undergraduate and graduate nursing programs in order to meet patient needs, improve health and health outcomes, and transform health care.

Our Strategic Priorities

Advance BSN and master’s entry programs that prepare nurses to meet changing public needs.
Ensure our graduate portfolio prepares students to excel in the future of nursing practice.
Develop and execute an action plan that promotes innovation in nursing education, both in-residence and online.
Foster diversity and inclusivity in our student population and throughout our curricula/programs.

The Path Forward

The nursing workforce of the future demands a bold and nimble clinician with a first-rate mind, the heart of a life-long student, and the soul of a public health advocate. A nurse committed to doing more.

Penn Nursing’s impact and influence in nursing education is reflected in our position as the world’s leading school of nursing. Our innovative curriculum and extensive use of simulation exposes students to a variety of situations that they will encounter in their clinical practice settings, facilitating deep learning and building their skills and confidence. As we enter a new era of teaching and learning, accelerated by necessity due to the recent pandemic, Penn Nursing remains committed to empowering today’s learner for tomorrow’s world by reimagining our curricula, teaching pedagogies, classrooms, and learning technologies. Goal - $15M over five years.

The Penn Nursing Learning Lab: Recent events have made an indelible mark on education, especially higher learning. An ever-changing health and health care landscape demands that we analyze and reprioritize our teaching; employing ingenuity and innovation to ensure Penn Nursing’s pedagogy remains at the forefront of the profession. The Penn Nursing Learning Lab will be a dynamic, nimble space in which all facets of nursing education are continually examined and evaluated for ongoing enhancement/modification.

Read on for ways that investing in the Penn Nursing Learning Lab will help Penn Nursing remain a leader in excellent nursing education.

Faculty Learning Opportunities

Teaching residencies and innovation teaching grants will provide faculty, who serve as ‘academic entrepreneurs’, with resources and time to transform existing course content and to develop new content.

New Simulation Technologies

Including virtual reality and augmented reality tools in our courses help give our students the professional edge they need. Gifts for simulation and learning technology directly support student learning that complements their clinical experiences in real-time.

Student Financial Aid/Scholarships

The average debt load of a nursing graduate student is over $90,000—a heavy burden on a typical nurse’s salary. Increasing financial aid/scholarships (especially at the graduate level) and non-tuition support for students is an evergreen priority.

Faculty Chairs (Term and Endowed)

Term/endowed professorships are used to recruit, recognize, and retain star faculty. The Dean appoints them to a distinguished faculty member(s) to partially support their research and other activities.

Aspire

Aspire is a new suite of specialized academic products and services designed by Penn Nursing for individuals and institutions who are dedicated to advancing innovation in health care. Sample giving opportunities include scholarships and funding for program development and growth.