Pulse - Fall 2010

              TABLE OF CONTENTS
SON welcomes landmark class of 95........1
Addressing inequities in global health......2
The case for advanced practice nurses.....3
Conference in Oslo....................................3
Welcome to our newest
Advisory Board members..........................4
Second degree graduates.........................4
Dr. Jean Lange achieves
FAAN recognition......................................5
Gifts and Grants........................................6
In the News...............................................7
Joint collaboration promotes
palliative care...........................................7
Message from the dean............................8
PULSE The
www.fairfield.edu/nursing
Fall 2010
SON welcomes landmark class of 95
A record number of nursing students
took Fairfield up on its offer of
acceptance into the class of 2014.
“This is clearly a bright group, and
they certainly understood the rigor of
the nursing curriculum before entering,”
said Dr. Joyce Shea, SON undergraduate
program director.
Sixteen percent of the class is
AHANA, and 10 percent are Magis
Scholars. The majority are from the tri-state
area and Massachusetts, and many
have had significant experience in health-care
already. One student, for example,
has worked and traveled with Unite for
Sight, a group that does eye surgeries in
developing countries. Another has done
significant research with the National
Institutes of Health. “Whether it’s clini-cal
work or research, more students are
coming to us with some background,”
said Karen Pellegrino, director of
Undergraduate Admission.
The Nursing Open House hosted by
the Office of Undergraduate Admission
and the School of Nursing takes pro-spective
students through four sessions,
including presentations by faculty panels,
a demonstration of the simulation models,
and a talk on study abroad. “Students and
their parents coming to the Open House
ask detailed questions. They want to
know what sort of clinical experiences are
available, and the diversity of experiences
is important to them,” said Dr. Shea. Last
year, 450 students and parents attended
the Open House. (This past September,
reservations had to be cut off at 500.)
“The Admission Office, under the
leadership of Karen Pellegrino, works so
well with the School of Nursing,” said
Dean Jeanne Novotny. “We are so very
grateful for all the support they’ve given
us over the years.”
“From what I’ve observed, nursing
is perceived as a more attractive profes-sion
than it was 10-15 years ago,” said
Pellegrino. “The availability of jobs and
the quality of our program are signifi-cant
factors, too.” Students attending
the Open House, she says, often move
Fairfield to the top of their list.
The large class does present a
challenge – namely, how to be sure
classes stay small, faculty is able to give
plenty of time and attention, and there
are clinical placements for all students.
“We’re thrilled to have this ‘problem’
but it does entail planning ahead,” said
Dr. Shea. For example, “we may switch
around the curriculum so half the class
takes required classes one semester, and
the other half takes it the next, so that
these classes remain small. And faculty
are always looking to develop new part-nerships
in the surrounding communities
so that additional clinical opportunities
open up.”
But if anyone can juggle the pieces
to make it all work out, it’s Dr. Shea.
“Her work ethic and attention to detail
make her leadership absolutely out-standing,”
said Dean Novotny. “She’s
a fabulous administrator and program
director, and that is reflected in the
nursing program.”
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
A PUBL I C A T ION OF THE S CHOOL OF NURS ING