Dear Alumni Ambassadors,

The College of Nursing has been a busy place this spring and it's getting even busier. We have:

• enjoyed this year's final Health and Human Values lecture by  music therapist Dr. Deforia Lane. The student and alumni audience found it both moving and entertaining. 
• selected our first doctoral class from an outstanding group of applicants. Watch for more information in the months to come.
• mingled with graduating students at the tea sponsored by the Dean and the Nursing Alumni Society where alumnae (including fellow ambassador Jodi Cantone) answered questions from the students about "the real world."
• attracted an exceptional applicant pool for the BSN program and hosted hundreds of family members at our annual Candidates Day Brunch.
• expanded our Spring Break service learning trips into Nicaragua where students had another remarkable experience.

Please mark your calendars with the upcoming events listed in this issue. We look forward to seeing alumni at Research Day, the Alumni Mass and Awards Ceremony, CE conferences and in Graduate Program classes.

Save the dates!

Thursday, April 15th--
Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Nu Chapter Research Day, 4 to 7 p.m., Radnor Hotel, Radnor, Pa. This year's theme is "Advancing Nursing Practice."

Saturday, April 17th--
 The College of Nursing holds its 15th Annual Mass and Alumni Awards Ceremony on April 17th. Call the College at 610.519.4900 for more information.

What's New at VU

New development officer. In February 2004, Lauren Harrar was employed by Villanova University’s Office of Institutional Advancement to serve as a development officer for the College of Nursing. Harrar is one of several individuals who have been assigned to work directly with the individual colleges within the University as part of a new strategy that addresses constituency-based donations. Harrar, who will work with the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Dean’s Office in the College of Nursing, is a graduate of Connecticut College.

Chinese delegation. On March 9, 2004, a delegation of Chinese nursing leaders from the Jiangsu Province visited the College of Nursing during a tour of the United States.  Pictured with them below are (third from left) Ann Barrow, Coordinator of College Relations; (fourth from left) Dr. Lynore DeSilets, Assistant Dean and Director of Continuing Education in Nursing and Health Care; (third from right) Dr. Barbara Ott, Associate Professor and (far right) Bing Bing Qi, an alumna of the College’s graduate nursing program. The faculty of the College spoke with the Chinese nurses about American health care as well as nursing education and practice.

What's Happening with You

Have you been noticing ways to help new grads with the transition to the workplace? Let us know if you have creative methods to assist your fellow Villanova nurses to adapt to the "real world."

Share your expertise. Villanova Nursing, in conjunction with Penn and Rutgers, is sponsoring the 31st Annual Conference on Professional Nursing Education and Development in Atlanta, October 18-21, 2004. This year's theme, Competence and Innovation:
Intersection in Professional Nursing Education, offers opportunities to discuss professional education issues and develop creative strategies to address them. Visit our web site to learn more and submit an abstract. 

Thank you. We had another successful Graduate Nursing Program Open House on March 23rd. Thanks to all of you who posted flyers and spread the word about opportunities at Villanova. We couldn't do this without you!

Featured Program

MSN in Health Care Administration. Offered in collaboration with the College of Commerce and Finance, this is the track of choice for  nurses who are in managerial positions and leadership roles in hospitals, community health, long term care facilities and other health care systems. Graduates receive an MSN with a certificate in Business Administration.

Congratulations

Patricia Shane Snyder. Patricia Shane Snyder, BSN '84, is the recipient of the 2004 Nursing Excellence Award from Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn  Mawr, Pa. Patty is a staff nurse in the PACU and will be recognized on April 22nd as the surgical nurse showing the highest  dedication to her field. Patty is also a newly elected board member for the College of Nursing Alumni Society.

Career Opportunities

Part-time medical-surgical clinical instructors. The College seeks part-time medical-surgical clinical instructors for the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters. For more information, contact Dr. Frances Keen, Assistant Dean and Director, Undergraduate Program at 610.519.4923.

Villanova University
College of Nursing
800 Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085-1690
Phone: (610) 519-4900
Fax: (610) 519-7650
ann.barrow@villanova.edu
www.nursing.villanova.edu

© 2004 Villanova University. All Rights Reserved.