BERKLEY SCHOOL OF NURSING AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Georgetown’s drive to do its very best work in service to the common good has shaped centuries of growth and progress. Today, it animates the university’s $3 billion campaign ambition, calling us to invest in areas of great strength for Georgetown—and even greater opportunity.
Through Called to Be: The Campaign for Georgetown, we are answering the call with resources and action, educating new generations of nursing professionals to promote health, equity, and well-being.
This is an exciting time at Georgetown’s Berkley School of Nursing. We have a legacy stretching back more than 120 years and a steadfast mission propelling us forward. As of the 2025–26 academic year, we also have a new name, thanks to a transformative commitment from the Berkley family in support of student scholarships, faculty, and other programming.
Nursing is about improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. We do this by nurturing an inclusive academic community that creates positive change through leadership, scholarship, and service. We approach this work through the lens of our Jesuit values, especially cura personalis, care of the whole person.
We prepare new generations of nursing professionals with the clinical, leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills—as well as empathy and compassion—to meet society’s health needs. That holistic approach shapes everything we do, recognizing that the best nursing programs go well beyond scientific knowledge to consider the social and cultural aspects of health care, structural drivers of health inequities, and the resources needed to promote health equity. Our location in Washington, DC—a diverse community and the hub for so many decisions about health and policy—reinforces this daily, creating opportunities for students to work with vulnerable populations and drive positive change.
There has never been a greater imperative to both grow the nursing workforce and shape the future of nursing. Today, we are called to expand program capacity and access, and minimize financial barriers to a nursing education. We are called to grow the supply of nursing faculty who create dynamic learning environments and advance the field. And we are called to provide more learning opportunities that inspire students to excel, developing nurses who can work confidently in varied contexts, and with diverse populations. I hope you will join us as we fulfill our ambitions for growth in order to meet the health needs of all.
—Roberta Waite, Ed.D., R.N., PMHCNS, ANEF, FADLN, FAAN, Dean, Berkley School of Nursing
Dean Roberta Waite, a nationally recognized nursing thought leader with extensive experience in health systems and academia, joined Georgetown University in 2022 as the dean of the School of Nursing at Georgetown University. Her expertise is at the nexus of health equity, social justice, anti-Black racism, and mental health. Dr. Waite’s career fuses education, practice, research, and community through innovative and transformative strategies. She is a scholar with over 100 publications and received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Nurses Association.
Uniquely positioned to meet an urgent need
Nursing professionals play an indispensable role in the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. They deliver essential support and care across our entire lifespan. They advocate for their patients and communities. And they navigate the most demanding of conditions with remarkable levels of health care expertise, compassion, and strength.
With our aging and growing population, and the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions, we need a robust nursing workforce more than ever—a demand that will only continue to rise in the years ahead. However, the nation’s supply of nurses is not keeping pace, creating ripple effects for patients, providers, and health systems alike.
Many factors are contributing to this imbalance, especially the financial barriers standing between motivated students and a high-quality nursing education. With the right investments, these obstacles are also preventable.
Our work at the Berkley School of Nursing is a source of hope. For more than a century, we have educated ethical, highly skilled nursing professionals committed to meeting society’s health care needs. Today, we are called to build on this foundation, strengthening pathways to nursing, educating skilled professionals for a new era, and contributing to a healthier future for all.
A LEGACY OF EDUCATING PEOPLE FOR OTHERS
At Georgetown University, our commitment to improving health and the human condition is a direct outgrowth of our mission as a Catholic and Jesuit institution. Nursing education, research, leadership, and service have been central to that ambition since the School of Nursing’s founding in 1903.
More than a century later, the same values still animate our work. In the spirit of cura personalis, we foster an inclusive, diverse academic community and support the formation of empathetic, transformational nursing leaders.
We do that by ensuring that students thrive in every facet of their lives, from their academic achievements to their mental and physical health, intellectual and spiritual growth, and development as world citizens.
This distinctive approach produces distinctive nursing professionals. Georgetown nursing graduates are true “people for others,” dedicated to lifelong learning, shared decision-making, and individual and community self-determination.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NURSING SHORTAGE
As patients’ first point of contact in the health care system, nurses are shouldering much of the excess demand created by an expanding elderly population. The stress of this growing workload has been especially pronounced in under-resourced communities and understaffed hospitals—and was further worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. An impending wave of retirements is expected to further exacerbate the nursing shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 194,500 openings for registered nurses (RNs) each year through 2033, with an annual vacancy rate of 9.9% and an RN turnover rate of 18.4%.
Recognizing this looming crisis, some health systems are taking action, improving compensation and working conditions. Higher education is another crucial part of the equation: we must find new ways to attract and educate students who can successfully navigate the nursing profession’s opportunities and challenges.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR NATIONALLY RENOWNED PROGRAM
This is a new era of nursing education at Georgetown. In 2022, the former School of Nursing and Health Studies (NHS) split into two schools, returning the School of Nursing to its original structure as a standalone school and creating a new School of Health. The change unlocked opportunities for growth and collaboration, ensuring that our nursing graduates are poised to meet the needs of the moment—and the future.
2025 brought another milestone: a new name, in recognition of a transformative gift commitment from the Berkley family, which has longstanding ties to the university and a history of extraordinarily generous philanthropy. The investment will help bolster the school’s new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program and provide resources for scholarships, faculty and staff, student success initiatives, technology, and more.
Today, the Berkley School of Nursing is home to an array of degree programs and post-graduate certificates that combine classroom and clinical learning. Through immersive, real-world experiences, we prepare students to thrive in a variety of nursing-related professions, from clinical care and health administration to law, entrepreneurship, business, health technology, policy, and more. We continue to expand these offerings, always striving to enhance our graduates’ leadership and impact in the nursing profession.
ALWAYS EVOLVING FOR GREATER IMPACT
Georgetown University School of Nursing founded
nursing online program
the School of Nursing and Health Studies NHS splits into two schools— the School of Health and the School of Nursing
the Berkley School of Nursing, ABSN program launched
BERKLEY SCHOOL OF NURSING DEGREE PROGRAMS
The Berkley School of Nursing is advancing the strong foundation established when its departments were housed in the former NHS, drawing on its expertise in health sciences and the delivery of care to educate leaders who effect positive change in communities near and far.
Entry to Nursing Programs
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Accelerated BSN
Master of Science Entry to Nursing
Master’s Programs
Family Nurse Practitioner Program
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse
Practitioner Program
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program
Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse
Practitioner Program
Doctoral Programs
Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
Ph.D. in Nursing
BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice
Post-Master’s Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice
Post-Graduate Certificate Programs
Family Nurse Practitioner
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Nurse Practitioner
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Nurse-Midwifery
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
We look forward to growing this suite of degree offerings and programs, as well as our team of faculty, in the years to come. Building on our existing BSN program, we are launching a new ABSN degree, which will expand our ranks and our reach (see page 12). We also offer a Ph.D. in Nursing—the only one in the country focused on ethics and health equity—and a post-Master’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate, which will empower nurses to provide counseling and therapy along with prescribing medicine to assist with behavioral health.
REALIZING OUR GREATEST AMBITIONS
Our mission calls us to keep evolving, always striving to meet the needs of our students, the nursing profession, and the communities we serve. Resources that minimize financial barriers to a nursing education, expand the supply of nursing faculty, and enhance the student experience are all essential to this ambition.
At this moment of growth and opportunity, we welcome the partnership of our donor community. Investments in scholarships, excellence in teaching, and experiential learning opportunities will help solidify our position as a world-class destination for nursing education and a source of exceptional nursing professionals.
Scholarships
We will shrink barriers to a nursing education.
Despite the pressing need for more nursing professionals, many obstacles still stand between promising students and a nursing career. Cost remains a major deterrent—not only tuition expenses but also the financial burdens associated with clinical work and licensing exams. Philanthropic support for scholarships and other forms of student assistance will play a vital role in expanding access to a Georgetown education, as will programs that foster an early interest in nursing.
A student from the BSN program administering the flu vaccination to a fellow nursing student.
OPENING DOORS WITH DONOR-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS
At the Berkley School of Nursing, we are dedicated to preparing leaders who can navigate an ever-shifting health care landscape full of complex challenges—from the rise in aging-related conditions, to the many social determinants exacerbating health inequities, to the mental health crises overwhelming our communities.
Educating nurses with a range of perspectives and experiences is essential to this ambition. Scholarships are one of the most powerful tools we have to ensure that no motivated student sacrifices an educational opportunity because of their inability to pay. Scholarships are particularly critical for students in our ABSN program (see page 12), many of whom are making a career pivot to pursue nursing; for our new Master of Science Entry to Nursing program; and for our Psychiatric-Mental Health program, given the demand for more health care workers who specialize in this area.
A CLOSER LOOK AT FINANCIAL AID
Our foremost priority is to increase the number of philanthropically funded scholarships offered to undergraduate and graduate students each year. While Georgetown fulfills full demonstrated need for our undergraduate students, graduate students do not have their full demonstrated need met. Many must rely on federal and other educational loans within their financial aid packages in order to pursue degrees.
Philanthropic support for scholarships will help alleviate students’ debt burdens, allow the Berkley School of Nursing to recruit and retain exceptional talent, and increase the chance our graduates can thrive in their future careers.
55% of undergraduate students enrolled in our traditional BSN program during the 2024–25 academic year received financial aid. 20% of undergraduate BSN students qualified for a Federal Pell Grant during FY25 (compared with 15% of Georgetown’s first-year undergraduates overall).
“This scholarship has been life-changing for me and defining in my underlying experience at Georgetown. It has allowed me the opportunity to not only excel academically but also to explore socially. I was able to complete projects and experience opportunities and events that interest me without feeling the pressure to work to pay off loans or find a job for work-study purposes… I hope through this scholarship I will be able to fulfill my educational goals and go into the nursing field with a fresh perspective and make a difference in my community.”
—HANNAH AJIBOLA (N’24)
‘PART OF SOLVING THE CRITICAL NURSING SHORTAGE IS KEEPING NURSES IN NURSING’
In Fall 2024, the nursing school welcomed its inaugural cohort of 45 Conway Scholars, recipients of loan-relieving scholarships made possible by a $1 million commitment over four years from the Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation established by the Carlyle Group co-founder and co-chairman William “Bill” E. Conway, Jr., and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway. The Conway Scholarship enables eligible BSN students who qualify for and would otherwise need a federally subsidized loan to instead graduate from nursing school with little or no student loan debt.
These types of scholarship gifts are instrumental to the Berkley School of Nursing’s mission and workforce contributions. “A nurse who graduates with debt may feel they have to choose the highest-paying position,” says Conway. “By partnering with Georgetown to provide scholarships that will allow students to graduate without federal subsidized loans, it is my hope that the Conway Scholars will be free instead to take the position that best fits their professional goals. Part of solving the critical nursing shortage is keeping nurses in nursing, and having a job that they love is part of that.”
MITIGATING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICAL WORK
Beyond reducing barriers to enrollment, philanthropy also helps ensure that students can engage fully in their education. Hands-on learning is a key component of Georgetown nursing programs: undergraduate and graduate students hone their skills in a variety of clinical settings—from hospitals, to community clinics, to nursing homes—allowing them to observe and participate in the delivery of care to patients from a variety of backgrounds.
This fieldwork, while invaluable, comes with additional costs, such as transportation to distant clinical sites, off-site meals, and personal equipment—expenses that can create difficulties for students with greater levels of financial need. Moreover, students nearing the completion of their undergraduate or graduate programs also shoulder fees associated with licensing exams and related preparation.
A FUND TO SUPPORT NURSING STUDENTS FACING URGENT FINANCIAL NEEDS
Established with a generous gift from Patty (NHS’93) and Chris (B’93) Mosher (Parents’24), the Berkley School of Nursing’s Nursing Student Resource Fund provides financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate nursing students to help cover unforeseen expenses related to pursuing their degree. Gifts to this fund will help expand Georgetown’s ability to support nursing students as they shoulder educational expenses such as specialized equipment, professional development activities, and more.
Patty (NHS’93) and Chris (B’93) Mosher (Parents’24)
in Boston. Photo courtesy of Patty and Chris Mosher
CREATING NEW PATHWAYS TO NURSING CAREERS
In addition to removing obstacles along the traditional road to a nursing career, Georgetown is creating new on-ramps, both for students who already have a degree and for those whose college career is still years away.
Launching new degree programs
In prioritizing second-degree candidates and meeting their career needs, the Berkley School of Nursing is tapping into new sources of talent for the nursing workforce.
Designed for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing, Georgetown’s new ABSN program provides an expedited path for students to obtain the education and skills required to become RNs. With a course map that can be completed across just 18 months, the program is an attractive choice for students seeking a fast-track into the nursing profession with the quality of a Georgetown-delivered degree.
ABSN students will have a combination of remote and in-person, collaborative learning, along with the range of clinical rotations and hands-on experiences required for licensure. Students also will benefit from wraparound services such as developmental academic advising, clinical debriefing, counseling, integrated tutoring, wellness support, and mentorship. After an inaugural cohort of students in Fall 2025, the program will expand to onboard two cohorts per year—one in fall, and one in spring.
The new Master of Science Entry to Nursing Program (MS-EN), meanwhile, offers a five-semester, on-campus pathway that prepares students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields for clinical nursing careers. Graduates will go on to a range of academic or leadership roles, fulfilling critical needs in acute care settings and in nursing education.
Putting nursing on the radar in K-12
We are also committed to launching a suite of pathway programs that provide opportunities for younger students to learn about the nursing profession. By fostering an interest in the field at an earlier age—and helping students build on that across their academic careers— we can open doors for students from a wide range of backgrounds. Support from our donor community will help ensure these programs have an exponential impact on the nursing workforce for generations to come.
With your support, we will expand access to nursing education, ensuring that exceptional students who are called to the profession can pursue and achieve their goals.
A PROVEN APPROACH TO EARLY ENGAGEMENT
Georgetown University Medical Center oversees several pathway programs designed to enhance students’ interest in the health sciences and expand opportunities for professional development. These programs have helped position hundreds of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students for health care careers. Philanthropy will enable the Berkley School of Nursing to build on this foundation and establish tailored programs, strengthening the pipeline of future nurses.
Faculty We will advance excellence in teaching, learning, and research.
The instruction and mentorship provided by our esteemed faculty are defining elements of a Georgetown nursing education. Through world-class learning experiences and research opportunities, our experts equip students with the skills to become successful nursing professionals. To realize the Berkley School of Nursing’s academic ambitions, we must recruit, recognize, and retain talented faculty and staff. These vital investments will have significant downstream benefits, too, given that faculty limitations are one of the most significant drivers of our nation’s nursing shortages.
Students learn how to use point-of-care ultrasound from Catherine Tierney, DNP, ACNP-BC, associate professor and program director for the Adult-Gerontology/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program.
BUILDING AN EVER-STRONGER BENCH OF EXPERTS
There is a direct line between the impact of a nursing program and the faculty and staff who deliver it. Always in service to the common good, members of our academic team nurture students’ intellectual, professional, and personal growth through their teaching, scholarship, and practice.
These nurse scientists also advance the field through transformative research with real-world impact. Prioritizing health equity, our researchers engage at the community level, building crucial relationships and collaborating to understand, and address, inequities.
More than 50 full-time faculty teach at the Berkley School of Nursing, but only a small fraction are currently in tenured or tenure-track positions. Philanthropic support for chairs, professorships, and postdoctoral fellowships will be crucial to retaining faculty and competing for additional top-tier talent, especially as we seek to develop future nursing leaders through new and innovative offerings.
We also strive to recruit distinguished experts who inspire learning and specialize in key disciplines, such as health equity, global health, mental health and well-being, women’s health, and racial and social justice.
To ensure that educators and scholars want to grow their careers at Georgetown, the Berkley School of Nursing must not only increase the number of endowed professorships and associated academic leadership roles but also invest in competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
Catherine Horvath, DNP, CRNA, CNE, CHSE, FAANA
SECURING THE FUTURE OF MATERNAL HEALTH
Rising maternal and infant mortality rates and looming OB/GYN shortages represent some of the most pressing threats to women’s and children’s health in our country. They also highlight the important role that nursing schools play in developing practitioners who can deliver quality reproductive care.
The Berkley School of Nursing offers several distinct graduate degrees in this area, including our distance-based, online master’s in nursing midwifery and women’s health—the secondlargest of its kind in the country. The program prepares students to provide primary care to individuals across their lifespan, as well as during the labor, birth, and postpartum periods; manage sexual and reproductive health and gynecologic health; provide family planning services and preconception care; and manage the care of newborns. Endowed professorships enable us to recognize and support the faculty whose expertise drives these kinds of crucial programs.
Heather Bradford, Ph.D., CNM, FACNM, assistant program director for the Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs, has been named the Mary L. and Raymond T. Holden Professor in Maternal and Infant Health for her work to grow and diversify the midwifery and WHNP workforce, address inequities within perinatal care, and improve perinatal outcomes.
Lauren Arrington, DNP, CNM, FACNM, assistant professor in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, is the Susan H. Mayer Professor in Health Equity, and seeks to apply tactics emerging from social justice movements to achieve equity in perinatal care.
SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING
“Georgetown’s a really unique space, both in terms of the university itself, its location in DC, and the Jesuit values that permeate everything that we do at the university.”
—STEPHAN DAVIS, DNP, MHSA, FACHE, ANEF, FAAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP, POLICY, AND DNP EDUCATION
Beyond these investments in faculty excellence, we seek to enrich students’ educational experiences by securing funding for postdoctoral research fellows and dedicated teaching assistants. While teaching assistants (TAs) can offer vital support as students navigate academic, personal, and professional challenges, there are currently no funded TA positions at the Berkley School of Nursing. With the help of our donor community, we will make these resources readily available to students.
We also will bring on a new Student Engagement Coordinator in our Student Affairs Office to oversee this network of TAs. Charged with enhancing mentorship and professional development opportunities for students, the coordinator would lead related internal events, cultivate a network of mentors, and spearhead new initiatives focused on career development and student engagement.
Further extending our holistic approach, we will build students’ personal and professional resilience during their time at Georgetown. Support for core student services staff, health and well-being coaching, tutors, and other well-being initiatives will help students develop valuable skills they can carry into their careers as nurses, in hopes of reducing burnout and attrition.
FLEXIBLE RESOURCES FOR EMERGING NEEDS
We are continually building our ability to nimbly respond to the evolving needs of our students, university community, and society at large. The Dean’s Fund for Strategic Initiatives & Nursing Excellence is a vital catalyst, providing leadership with flexible resources to advance priority projects and seize new opportunities that enhance our impact inside and outside of the classroom. Gifts to the fund support the expansion of experiential learning programs, research and clinical training opportunities, student well-being initiatives, and more, deepening our capacity to serve students and our broader community.
With your support, we will enhance our community of faculty and staff to inspire and educate even more nursing professionals.
2025 BSN Scholar’s Day and Honors Presentation
Experiential learning
We will give students more hands-on opportunities.
Real-world and simulated experiences are essential to building nursing students’ clinical expertise, confidence, and resilience in preparation for the workforce. In addition to the extensive practice built into their curriculum, students learn through immersion—in our backyard of Washington, DC, other U.S. regions, and countries thousands of miles away. We must continue to evolve these transformative opportunities, positioning students to thrive in their personal lives and professional careers.
Hands-on learning in the O'Neill Family Foundation Clinical Simulation Center.
LEARNING BY DOING
Students come to the Berkley School of Nursing eager to take advantage of experiential and clinical learning opportunities. Our BSN program, for instance, includes more than 850 hours of clinical and lab experience in community clinics, hospitals, assisted living centers, and other settings. Those in the BSN Honors Program further deepen their expertise by researching contemporary nursing issues and publishing their findings in peer-reviewed journals.
Students also benefit from having on-campus environments where they can safely develop critical thinking and clinical skills before practicing in real-world settings. Much of this learning takes place in the O’Neill Family Foundation Clinical Simulation Center. Established in 2002 thanks to the generosity of Linda D’Angelo O’Neill (NHS’ 77) and Tim O’Neill (L’ 77), the center deploys a variety of technologies and tools to immerse
students in highly realistic patient scenarios that complement their classroom learning. Students spend hundreds of hours in the Simulation Center, practicing everything from fundamental skills to advanced techniques and specialized procedures.
We are committed to maintaining the excellence of this vital facility. With philanthropic support, we will invest in equipment updates and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality platforms, empowering faculty and students to explore novel approaches to teaching and health care delivery. These resources will be particularly crucial for the success of our ABSN program, whose students must quickly develop expertise and confidence working in clinical environments with the latest tools.
We have seen how investments in clinical training pay dividends: Georgetown-educated nurses consistently achieve above-average pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam, which is required to practice as a nurse in the United States.
A KEY DIFFERENTIATOR: OUR ACADEMIC HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNERSHIP
The academic health system partnership between Georgetown University and MedStar Health—the largest nonprofit health system in the Washington, DC, region— enables Georgetown to provide nursing students with hands-on clinical learning and priority placements in MedStar facilities. Students collaborate with physicians, specialists, and other health care professionals, gaining valuable professional exposure and experience working directly with patients. Joint faculty appointments between MedStar and the Berkley School of Nursing further strengthen the partnership.
NURTURING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTH
We also offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves in communities near and far. Fostering an environment of community outreach and service, these experiences equip students with a deeper understanding of the social and structural conditions that shape health, along with the complexities associated with population health and care delivery in various settings. The knowledge, empathy, and compassion gained along the way prepare our students to advance health equity and reduce health inequities in communities with the greatest need.
In addition, we strive to develop new experiential programs that explore emerging challenges in nursing, such as the responsible use of health technologies. To ensure students at the Berkley School of Nursing are well-prepared to use technology to improve patient care and outcomes, we are developing curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as learning opportunities with industry experts in Silicon Valley. Always looking to deepen our impact, we seek to expand participation in these types of learning opportunities here and abroad.
Guided by faculty mentors, graduate students from Georgetown's NurseMidwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (NM/WHNP) and WHNP programs visit Capitol Hill to discuss the status of women's health and midwifery care with legislators.
PROMOTING HEALTH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA
Through the faculty-led Tanzania Healthcare Experiential Learning Initiative, undergraduate and graduate nursing and midwifery students have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the Kilimanjaro region of rural Tanzania, learning about a different type of health system and seeing firsthand the implications of economics and social class on the health of local citizens.
Prioritizing humility, grace, and care for the people of Tanzania, students participating in the short-term service learning experience help administer health assessments and screenings, advance various wellness initiatives, deliver health education to members of the community, and provide professional development services to local health providers.
In addition, through the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program, School of Nursing faculty members have helped train nurse-midwives in Tanzania to provide newborns with life-saving interventions during the critical “Golden Minute” after birth. “Programs like HBB embody [our school’s] commitment to serving others,” says Krista White, Ph.D., R.N., an associate professor (retired) and former director of the Tanzania Healthcare Experiential Learning Initiative.
With philanthropic support, the Berkley School of Nursing will make these types of opportunities available to even more students—and replicate similar initiatives in other communities around the world.
A NURSING EDUCATION INFUSED WITH JESUIT VALUES
One of the many distinguishing features of a Georgetown nursing education is our students’ access to a swath of resources that enrich them personally, academically, professionally, and spiritually. One example is the Magis Immersion Programs, offered through Georgetown’s Office of Mission & Ministry. These programs offer students valuable opportunities to put cura personalis into practice and deepen their awareness of global issues.
In Summer 2024, eight nursing students participated in a Magis Immersion Program in Lourdes, France. Millions of people visit Lourdes in an annual pilgrimage to seek relief in the location’s historic healing waters. The trip enabled undergraduate nursing students to provide compassionate care in one-onone settings to individuals from around the world—a rewarding experience that merged students’ spiritual engagement with experiential learning in preparation for their future professions.
“Too often, we hurry through our everyday tasks and interactions. The language barrier forced us to slow down and be present. We became more aware and intentional of our use of facial expressions, tone of voice and human touch. The act of slowing down fosters a greater relationship and sense of connection that I hope to carry into my practice as a nurse.”
—AINSLEY BLISS (N’26), ON HER EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERING AT THE SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES
COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN RURAL WEST VIRGINIA
In Spring 2025, six students and three faculty from the nursing school participated in an immersive experiential learning program in Clay County, West Virginia. Students collaborated with local health care partners and community stakeholders to examine how culture and community engagement shape health. Activities included mobile outreach to unhoused populations, a community health fair, mural painting, and the development of a blue and green wellness space for youth. Through these experiences, students contributed to health equity initiatives; analyzed systems impacting social determinants of health; and practiced cultural
humility, shared power, and self-reflection—reinforcing a sustained, meaningful partnership between Georgetown and this rural Appalachian community.
POSITIONING STUDENTS FOR A LONG, FRUITFUL CAREER
These experiential and clinical learning opportunities are valuable not only for students’ skill development but also for their awareness of the nursing profession’s distinct stressors, and how those affect them on a personal level. The unique array of challenges shouldered by nurses in their day-to-day work can take a toll on their mental health and test their long-term commitment to the field.
Guided by the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, Georgetown is committed to expanding our suite of available mental health resources—providing our students with all the tools they need to thrive personally during their time on campus, and beyond. Philanthropic support for student well-being can transform their experiences, while equipping them with the strategies and resilience necessary to thrive in their careers.
With your support, we will expand the learning experiences available to our students, enhancing their ability to confidently and effectively deliver care.
For more than 120 years, nursing education has been an integral part of Georgetown’s commitment to serving the common good, improving health, and fostering an inclusive community. As we enter this new era of growth, we have an exceptional opportunity to build on that legacy.
Georgetown alumni, parents, and friends will be essential partners as we work to fulfill our ambitions for access, excellence, and impact.
Thank you for your generosity, now and always, as we pave the way for future generations of nursing leaders to transform the profession and deliver exceptional care.
To learn more about these priorities, contribute to the Berkley School of Nursing, or plan for future support, please contact us at SONadvancement@georgetown.edu.
