A Message from the Dean

A Message from the Dean

Kathy H. Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP Vice President, University of Rochester Medical Center; Dean and Professor of Clinical Nursing and Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Nursing

Dear Friends,

There’s something about this time of year. The days get short and there is a familiar bite in the air as the breeze rushes past your face. The excitement of spending time with our friends and loved ones during the holiday season soon gives way to reminiscing the year gone by and the hope and optimism that come with the turn of the calendar.

This year at Meliora Weekend, we also celebrated the 15th anniversary of our first graduates of the Accelerated Program for Non-Nurses (see story, pages 25-27). After more than 75 years of “traditional” nursing education, we graduated our first cohort of APNN students in 2003. The switch from the fouryear program to an accelerated one-year course of study was a bold move to capitalize on the strengths of our institution, and it has paid off handsomely. To date, our APNN program has prepared more than 2,000 new nurses, and we continue to be one of the premier destinations for new students who wish to pursue nursing.

I can’t help but reflect on the past 12 months here at the School of Nursing – the joys, the successes, as well as the challenges and heartbreaks. We experienced some of all, but I firmly believe that 2018 was the best year yet for us. Our education, research, and clinical enterprises are thriving, we continue to grow and expand in ways that allow us to fulfill our mission of promoting excellence in nursing, and we have exceptional students who continually push us – as faculty, staff, and administrators – to provide the best and most inclusive environment for them to succeed.

I’m extremely proud to be the dean of a school that has featured so many dynamic and innovative visionaries who have helped to advance our profession. As we move into 2019, I express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have played a part in our history as we continue to evolve to meet the health care needs of tomorrow. Thank you for making this place what I always say it is: the greatest school of nursing in the world.

Meliora!