A L U M N I P E RS P E C T IV E
TOP OF THE FIELD By Jessie Bazan Not many 73-year-olds take up mountain climbing, much less tackle Africa’s highest mountain. But Dr. Shannon Perry, Nurs ’69, is not like most people. Last winter, the decorated College of Nursing alumna climbed more than 15,000 feet up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds to combat human trafficking. Perry’s active lifestyle also includes teaching, traveling and authoring some of the most important textbooks in the field of
Leading nursing educator Dr. Shannon Perry, Nurs ’69, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about human trafficking.
maternal-child nursing. A leader in nursing education, Perry spent 16 years as a professor and five years as director of the School of Nursing at San Francisco State University, one of the many universities at which she has taught. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, won the Global Caring Nurses Foundation President’s Award and 2012 Excellence in Education Award from the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, and co-authored the 2011 American Journal of Nursing’s Book of the Year, Maternity and Women’s Health Care. A 1999 College of Nursing Alumna of the Year, Perry still makes time to support her alma mater in many ways, including as a visiting lecturer and member of the 75th Anniversary Alumni Committee. Dean Margaret Faut Callahan describes Perry as a highly respected innovator in nursing education. “She hasn’t been a nurse educator sitting in an ivory tower somewhere,” she says. “She’s really taken her nursing knowledge around the world, and it’s helped change the lives of people globally.” Recently, Perry sat down to discuss her prolific career and more with Marquette Nurse. What aspect of the nursing profession are you most passionate about and why? I really enjoy student and patient contact and have spent much of my career in the formation of caring individuals who are excellent nurses. I also believe that having knowledge of nursing only in the United States is a very narrow point of view. To that end, I created courses on international nursing perspectives and accompanied students to a number of international settings, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Ghana, Italy, Thailand, Kenya, Honduras and China. A comment I often hear from students is, “I will never look at nursing and health care the same again,” which is the whole point of those types of experiences. Explain your personal philosophy on service. Nursing is a service profession. We are there to provide the best care and comfort that we are capable of to all persons who seek our assistance. This requires nurses to be knowledgeable, dedicated and caring. We treat patients and co-workers with the kind of service and care that we would like for ourselves and our families, which encompasses physical, emotional and spiritual care. Do you have any advice for undergraduates going into the nursing field today? Study hard to be the best you can be. Continue to read, study and learn so your knowledge is continually updated. Advance your education to the highest level that you desire. And, finally, enjoy yourself! Nursing is a wonderful vocation, career and occupation. What’s next for you? I continue to be involved in professional associations and am on national task forces and committees. I travel extensively for business and pleasure, and my fun writing these days focuses on reports of my travels for local newspapers. For example, in 2007, I visited all seven continents. I want to write an article describing that experience because not too many people have done that. It ties to my passion for educating nursing students to have a global view of health care. ✤
2 012 | MA R Q U ET T E N U RSE
19