The School of Nursing promotes health care and planetary health at state, national and global levels. Faculty and staff are engaged across public and private sectors and disciplines globally. A commitment to service and practice informed by pragmatic realism provides a framework for both students and faculty to work effectively in complex, high-needs environments.
Nurse apprenticeships are transforming nursing education
The Pre-Licensure Nursing Apprenticeship Model pilot program gives nursing students real-world experience, financial support and a direct path to employment. The Center for Nursing Equity and Excellence, which was launched through a partnership between the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, was awarded a grant from the Department of Employment and Economic Development to roll out the pilot program. Senior nursing students from the University of Minnesota, Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Minnesota North College apply to become nurse apprentices at Allina Health or Essentia Health.
HRSA awards funding for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners workforce development
Professor Carolyn Porta, PhD, MPH, RN SANE-A, FAAN, FNAP, received funding from Health Resources and Services Administration for Restoring Survivors with an Excellent SANE Workforce: The Re LAB Trauma-Informed Community of Practice & Wellbeing.
AAN hosts AI and nursing dialogue with Dean White Delaney as a featured speaker
Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, was a featured speaker at the American Academy of Nursing Policy Dialogue Series AI Transformation in Policy, Practice & Education for Nursing & Health Care: A Foundational Dialogue in November. The policy dialogue engaged internationally recognized experts in technology, bioethics, quality and safety in a discussion addressing artificial intelligence and nursing.
School supports VA as it seeks accreditation for transition to practice program
The Minneapolis VA is seeking accreditation for its transition to practice program from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and sought partners — including the University of Minnesota School of Nursing — for guidance. Assistant Dean for Pre-licensure Programs Carol Flaten, DNP, RN, PHN, was selected to serve on the advisory council.
CNEE offers preparation courses for new nursing faculty
The Center for Nursing Equity and Excellence (CNEE), which is a collaboration between Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota, launched preparation courses to support the success of new full-time and part-time nursing faculty.
Webinar series honors Native American Heritage Month
The Center for Indigenous People, Health and Nursing of North America hosted a four-part webinar series in honor of Native American Heritage Month in November. Topics included Native American political status, missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, first-generation American Indian nursing students, and dementia prevalence in Native Americans.
Summer Institute in Adolescent Health focuses on use of technology
The 2024 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health, Cultivating Adolescent Well-Being in the Digital Age, explored how professionals, from across health, public health, education and policy sectors, along with parents, caring adults, and young people can work together to understand and promote young people’s healthy use of technology. The institute examined digital literacy, dissected the exploitative nature of influencer culture, and shared skills to empower youth, including those with marginalized identities. Panelists Attorney General Keith Ellison, Rep. Sandra Feist and Rep. Kristin Bahner spoke about the importance of online safety legislation and legislative advocacy, with Haley Hinkle, policy counsel for Fairplay, facilitating the discussion.
UN Commission on the Status of Women webinar discusses how AI is transforming nursing
The Katharine J. Densford Center for International Nursing hosted a parallel event during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Forum about The Future of Caring: How AI is Transforming Nursing, with moderators Associate Professor Martin Michalowski, PhD, FAMIA, FIAHSI, and Professor Jenna Marquard, PhD, FACMI.
Planting Seeds of Innovation encourages nurses to embrace innovation to improve care
The Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership hosted the 2025 Planting Seeds of Innovation Conference in April, with Julie Kennedy Oehlert, chief experience and brand officer for ECU Health, delivering the keynote. It explored how interdisciplinary innovations can foster a more connected, empowered, and dynamic nursing workforce, ensuring the future of health care is both compassionate and high performing.
Big Data Science Conference explores AI and large-scale nursing research
The Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference brought nurse leaders and informaticists to Minneapolis in June to discuss using nursing knowledge empowered by data and informatics to improve health. Patricia C. Dykes, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and research program director for the Center for Patient Safety, Research and Practice at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, delivered the keynote CONCERN EWS: Leveraging Nurse-Driven Data for Early Prediction and Scalable Implementation in Patient Care.
Students provide 4,425 vision screenings
BSN students partnered with Wayzata Public Schools to complete vision screenings for 4,425 students, providing Wayzata students with important screenings and nursing students with valuable experience.