Resiliency is the ability to overcome all kinds of challenges and bounce back stronger than ever before. It requires an extraordinary level of adaptability and a willingness to innovate, lead and support others in new ways. I am continuously inspired by the ways our faculty and staff, students, donors, alumni and partners at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing have demonstrated their commitment to these efforts.
In this issue, you will learn about our emphasis on increasing innovative, nurse-driven research; the ways we are supporting one another through peer mentoring and mental health initiatives; our commitment to professional development; and how we are continuing to help our communities navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. You will read about the ways in which faculty, students, graduates and staff are playing essential roles in improving the lives of people in our communities, the experiences of students and faculty here at the School of Nursing, and the future of health care, including:
- Creating a Culture of Nurse-Driven Research: A team of faculty research leaders have launched the St. Charles Professorship Project to enhance nursing research capacity and potential external research funding at the School of Nursing and our health system partner organizations.
- Prioritizing Self-Care for the Caregiver: For students and faculty at the School of Nursing, novel listening circles are helping to bring relief through self-care and resiliency training.
- Advancing the Nurse Practitioner Program Through Academic-Clinical Partnerships: A new Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program, the first in the state fully administered by a school of nursing and NP educators who are clinical experts in their fields, will help meet the needs of medically underserved populations while helping nurse practitioner (NP) students move smoothly from training to practice.
Thank you to everyone who has helped the School of Nursing in our quest to remain resilient in the face of every challenge and continue to make tremendous impacts at the local, state, national and global level.
Demetrius J. Porche, DNS, PhD, PCC, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN
Dean and Helen A. & James B. Dunn Professor
Louisiana State University Health – New Orleans School of Nursing
