From the dean: Connections that empower health and healing

Dear Friends,

The health of our planet and our communities are inexorably intertwined. Yet for far too long we have overlooked this connection. In this issue of Minnesota Nursing, we explore some of the varied ways nursing and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing are deepening our critical connection to nature. Planetary health is increasingly being incorporated into our curricula, and we showcase some of the ways our school has become a force in addressing climate change. This issue also explores how the effects of climate change are threatening our health, particularly of children, and how we must respond. And our Healing Nature focus examines the healing powers of nature-based therapy being discovered by nurse researchers.

Partnerships are at the core of our being. This issue includes some of the new ways the School of Nursing is connecting with communities both near and far to advance nursing education, research and practice. This includes forging three new nursing collaboratories — academic-practice partnerships — with Essentia Health, Children’s Minnesota and the Faith Community Nurse Network that complement our existing collaboratories with M Health Fairview and the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Globally, our recent partnerships with Peking University Health Science Center in China, Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam, and Pal College of Nursing and Medical Sciences in India, shared in these pages aim to improve nursing and promote wellbeing through exchange of students and faculty and research collaboration. 

Nursing informatics has the potential to transform health care. In this issue you’ll read how our faculty, in partnership with the School of Public Health, are leading a consortium that aims to advance health care by creating pathways to careers in public health informatics and technology for underrepresented students. This $7.9 million grant will advance health equity by training students to use data. These pages also share the story of recent PhD alum Knoo Lee, who is harnessing the power of data analytics to better inform care in vulnerable populations.

We hope reading Minnesota Nursing deepens our school’s connection with you and we look forward to your continued feedback. We offer our deepest gratitude for your interest and engagement.

Connie White Delaney
Professor and Dean