Dean’s Welcome
I
t is a dynamic time of significant transformation in the nursing profession and in the field of health care. The current care context and delivery systems, including nursing practice, are being shaped by large-scale issues and social determinants of health, such as infectious disease pandemics, widening socioeconomic inequality, climate changes, political divisions, community violence, migration, structural racism, and technology, to name a few. As our health care systems encounter and respond to these transformative changes, the scientific, clinical expertise and leadership of nurses will be required. In the pages of this magazine, you will see project examples of how the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) is addressing the most pressing contemporary and future health and social challenges we collectively face. There are exciting opportunities ahead for the DUSON community to prepare future generations of nurse scientists, clinical experts, and leaders empowered to make tangible impacts on achieving health equity throughout our transformed systems of health care domestically and across the globe. Nurse leadership in the coming decade will require nurses trained in rigorous scientific methods, excellence in clinical care delivery, seasoned nurse educators, and expertise in policymaking at state, federal, and global levels. To meet these needs, DUSON is: • Addressing the social determinants of health with novel, multi-level health interventions that mitigate the precise mechanisms by which social determinants of health influence real people, families, and communities; • Designing, evaluating, and disseminating nurse-led models of health care designed to reimagine health care delivery with greater attention to prevention, overall wellness, disease management, use of technology in health care delivery, and locational preferences of individuals and groups; • Developing, growing, and supporting a diverse and inclusive nursing workforce to ensure the United States and the world at large have well-trained public health and health care delivery professionals to prevent and respond to global pandemics and the ongoing health challenges facing our planet; and • Effectively communicating the value of the health care services nurses deliver, the impact of those services on health outcomes, and the opportunities for rethinking current health care payment models to allow for greater alignment with nurse-delivered services. In this issue of Duke Nursing magazine, I invite you to read more about DUSON’s signature initiatives and our vision for the role of nurses in the transforming landscape of health care. Now is the time for nursing! And now is the time for DUSON! Sincerely,
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, MSN’17, PhD, MPH, LCSW, RN, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN
Dean, Duke University School of Nursing Vice Chancellor, Nursing Affairs, Duke University
MATTHEW SEPTIMUS
Nurse-Community-Family Partnership Program team member Diego Guaman, left, meets with a family in their home to discuss COVID-19 and health care through a project led by the Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health.