Prepared and Proud

Margaret Harkins, Dean of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Margaret Harkins, DNP, MBE, MSN, GNP-BC, RN-BC, dean of the Holy Family University School of Nursing & Health Sciences can spot a nurse from a mile away. Call it her super power, one that has served her well over the past eight years during the unprecedented growth in the program.

“If I am in front of a lineup and have a chance to talk to the people, I can pick out the nurses instantly,” Harkins said. “They are just very different, and their way about going forward in day-to-day life is very different than the average person. Nurses are a very unique group of individuals.”

Perhaps because nurses can go from the excitement of the birth of baby to experiencing end-of-life care.

“The typical lay person will never be exposed to these kinds of situations unless they have a personal family issue,” she said. “We do it on a daily basis. Our practice requires us to not only go in and grieve with a family, but then walk out of that room and prepare for another patient, who is experiencing something completely different. It takes a special individual to commit to this vocation. We can be known as a tough group, but inside, we have the compassion and the wherewithal to see that people really do need help.”

At the age of 25, her son required tremendous care after being born with a brain bleed, Harkins was the one in need of help. It was through this challenge that she discovered what would become her life’s work.

Our students need to know that the nursing profession has a long-standing commitment to healing and helping and putting your hand out when someone is on the ground and at their worst.

“In the first year of his life, we were at doctors constantly,” Harkins said. “I didn’t know what they were talking about. I needed to figure out how to understand the language. I saw the nurses who were taking care of my son and I thought, ‘This is amazing what they are doing’.”

Harkins launched a seven-year quest, while working as a secretary, in pursuit of an associates degree. The path sent her to Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Chatham University, rising through the ranks as a geriatric nurse practitioner. After teaching nursing at Drexel University for 12 years (2003-15), she arrived at Holy Family University as an adjunct professor and began the ascent to full-time faculty member and program coordinator to assistant dean, associate dean, then dean.

“Being a dean provides me with an opportunity to purposely look at what we offer and to make changes that need to be made at the curriculum level,” she said. “I consider myself lucky to be in this position as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the School of Nursing, and it does not surprise me at all that our alumni are as successful as they are. When I arrived, the University had a traditional program and one cohort of an accelerated program. Through the very hard work of the leadership team, along with the faculty and staff, we now offer a nurse practitioner program, a doctoral program, a master’s program online, and a part-time evening and weekend program.”

Under Harkins’ leadership, the University recently introduced an online distance learning program that mirrors the in-person 14-month accelerated program that is offered at the school’s Newtown campus. After just one cohort, the program has reached 10 states.

“It’s just amazing that our name is out there,” Harkins said. “I was attracted to Holy Family University because it was a faithbased institution with a mission and values that are exactly what nurses have. Those values — including integrity and respect — run through our veins as nurses. That’s who we are.”

It is because of the Holy Family University reputation that Harkins has worked so hard to capitalize on her ability to make change.

“The product that we put out into society has to be stellar,” she said. “As a nurse, you need to know what you are doing. We need to grow nurses who have their heads on straight, who are able to handle so many emotional things, who can deal with anxiety and tension and also the physical challenges of the job. Our students need to know that the nursing profession has a long-standing commitment to healing and helping and putting your hand out when someone is on the ground and at their worst.”

Because she has been at it for so long, Harkins can now use her years of experience to spot those who have the potential to become difference-makers in a world that faces a critical nursing shortage in a changing landscape that will be sending more nurses into the home.

“I tell our students to get through school and get their RN licenses,” Harkins said.” There are thousands of opportunities out there for them to positively impact the healthcare system if they tough it out. Yes, it is challenging, and nurses are a tough breed. The profession is proud of that. I am proud of that.”

Harkins is here to ensure that the next generation of Holy Family University nurses will be, too.