from Villanova Nursing's The State of the College: 2018-2023

COMING HOME

STRATEGIC VISION AND PLAN

Nursing’s strategic planning process led by Dean Havens and a consultant, alongside faculty and staff, began before the pandemic, was resumed after a hiatus, and completed in 2022-2023. Five key aspirations were identified for the next three years beginning in Fall 2023:

1. Become a leading presence in nursing, nationally and globally

In addition to ranking #23 in the nation in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs, a new position was created for an Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives to oversee the plan; faculty are seeking and earning appointments to key boards, committees and academies; and a data manager position has been approved to support the work of the college and its data-driven decision making.

5 Endowed Chair and Professorships

• Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor

• Diane L. and Robert F. Moritz Endowed Chair in Nursing Research

• Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professorship in Nursing of Vulnerable Populations

• NEW M. Louise Fitzpatrick Endowed Professorship in Nursing

• NEW Kreider Endowed Professorship in Health Care Simulation and Innovation

4 Endowed Assistant Professorships

• NEW Coach Bennett Endowed Assistant Professorship

• NEW Diane Foley Parrett Endowed Assistant Professorship

• NEW Eastwood Family Endowed Fund for Assistant Professors of Nursing

• NEW Weingarten Endowed Assistant Professorship

NEW Visiting Professorship

• Howley Family Visiting Professorship in Health Care

Inductions into Prestigious Academies

In the last five years, additional faculty have been honored with academy inductions leading to the following total number of faculty who have been so honored:

• 13 American Academy of Nursing

• 7 Academy of Nursing Education

• 2 American Association of Nurse Practitioners

• 1 Gerontological Society of America

• 1 American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

• 1 American College of Nurse-Midwives

• 1 Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists

• 1 Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame

Recent Firsts: Competitive National External Fellowships

• Macy Faculty Scholar

• Betty Irene More Fellowship

• Post-doctoral Fellowship

• Wharton/AACN Fellowship

2. Foster an environment of Inclusive Excellence where all feel a genuine sense of belonging and a fulfilling growth experience. All feel welcomed, valued and respected.

All NEW Initiatives include:

• Named inaugural Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence (ADIE)

• Created office budget, with administrative and student support; donor funds also support this office and its work

– $2.5 million Conway Scholar funding for Pell-eligible students—50 students/year ’23-’28

– Gertrude Skelly Hardship Funds

– Various donor funded student support

• Developing Inclusive Excellence Advisory Board

• Consulting on all FCN searches and coordinating work with Villanova’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion via ADIE

• Developed Social Justice and Health Equity in Professional Nursing curriculum

• Student-founded groups: Men in Nursing and Multicultural Student Nurses Organization (MSNO)

• Established Healthy Work Environment Committee and held College summit

• Hosted FCN Alumni of Color event in spring 2023 and organized celebration lunches, breakfasts and teas, with more activities to come

The Work Continues

Number of incoming students who identify as racially diverse

2020

2021 2022

34 45

Average of 10 men per class.

3. Be the nursing learning environment of choice for faculty, staff, students and employers to educate and launch the next generation of practice-ready nurses.

Reflecting its status, the College continues its National League for Nursing designation as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.

• Simulation and Learning Resource Center

– NEW Endorsed by the International Nursing Association of Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL)

– NEW Provisional Accreditation from the Society of Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) (first step in full accreditation that will be pursued in 2024)

• Developing state of the science curricula, teaching methodologies and learning spaces continues

• Ensuring College recognition as leader in pioneering technology and simulation in the teaching and learning experience

• Recognizing faculty as nationally distinguished leaders and scientists in the education of nurses and the scholarship of teaching—we “educate the educators”

• NEW Expanding Innovative Nursing Education (INE) model launched in partnership with Main Line Health

• NEW Piloting programs in academic-health care partnership for accelerated MSN for clinical faculty and creating programs for clinical preceptors

Faculty and Staff Ethnicity

• Staff: 19% identify as racially diverse

• Faculty: 15% identify as racially diverse

• 5.4% male faculty

Nationally, 19.2% of full-time U.S. nursing faculty identify as racially diverse, and 7.4% are male, per AACN 2021 Annual Survey.

• NEW Partnering with industry leaders to beta test virtual reality programs in Simulation and Learning Resource Center

• NEW Creating virtual gaming simulations

• Increasing innovation opportunities for faculty, staff and students

4. Elevate engagement with new and current partners to advance transformative and sustainable partnerships to ignite change in education, research, practice and policy.

• Searching for inaugural Howley Family Visiting Professor in Health Care for ’23-’24

• Established dozens of new industry relationships to expand student experiences, leverage College expertise, and continue to innovate on multiple fronts, including in the health monitoring and device industries

• Collaborating with clinical partners on revolutionary evidence-based clinical practice experiences and creating new degree and certificate offerings through academic-health care partnerships

• Creating additional faculty and student research collaborations with internal and external partners

• Partnering to provide innovative student externships, mentorship, and experiences with health care delivery organizations—local to global—and all sectors of the health care industry

• NEW Launched award-winning WXV&U Health partnership with Villanova radio station WXVU—first in nation—and named inaugural director

• NEW Hosted two post-doctoral students

• Continuing development of initiatives with Villanova’s Office of Veterans and Military Service Members

5. Advance a bold and ambitious Nursing research agenda to impact science, education, practice and policy.

Build the NEW Infrastructure and Initiatives:

• Engaged Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, Biostatistician, Office of Nursing Research Coordinator and Deployed Research Administrator

• Created Operating Budget, and Research Development and Innovation Grant Funds

• Raised funds including those for a COVID-19 workforce study and an NIH-NINR grant, with future studies planned through various foundation and organization grant funding

• Developed faculty workload policy to support enhanced research opportunities

• Initiated reduced teaching load for tenure track assistant professors in their first semester as well as three years of research assistant support and mentoring

• Established four research interest groups related to family, gerontology, simulation, and equity and justice

• Celebrated Villanova University awards bestowed on three Nursing faculty for outstanding research or scholarly achievement

• Launched Villanova ReachOut initiative, leveraging science, to engage older adults through technology and make a positive difference in their mental and physical wellness.

Cancer care

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Among FCN’s areas of focus for science and innovation are:

Climate change and health, environmental health

Elimination of maternal health inequities

Family and veteran care

Gerontology nursing

Global and public health

Health equity

Health services

Mental health

Nursing education

Nutrition and health

Simulation

Trauma/violence

Build the next generation:

Funding has been increased for traditional and second degree accelerated BSN students to conduct research with faculty mentors.

A Coordinator of Undergraduate Research oversees the new Honors Nursing Program and works with fellow faculty and students to match interests, create synergies and expand student development as scientists.