Mueller receives Distinguished Educator designation from Hartford Center

Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, professor and senior executive associate dean for Academic Programs, received designation as a Distinguished Educator in Nursing from the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE). She was also elected to the NHCGNE Board of Directors.

The purpose of the of Distinguished Educator in Nursing designation is that given the rapidly growing older adult population and the urgent need to prepare the future nurse workforce to care for an aging population, it is imperative to have well-prepared nurse educators not only with knowledge and skills in care of older adults, but also with teaching competence so that they can foster positive attitudes toward older adults and actively engage learners at all levels.

Mueller, the Katherine R. & C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership and co-director of the Center of Aging Science and Care Innovation, said that it was because of her experience as a nursing assistant in a nursing home that she decided to become a nurse. “There was no question in my mind when I completed my nursing education that gerontological nursing was going to be my practice specialty,” says Mueller. “I have had the pleasure of developing innovative gerontological learning experiences for students in several schools of nursing.”

The Certificate of Recognition for Excellence as a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing is awarded with approval by the NHCGNE Board of Directors.

The mission of the NHCGNE is to enhance and sustain the capacity and competency of nurses to provide quality care to older adults through faculty developing, advancing gerontological nursing science, faculty adoption of best practices, fostering leadership and designing and shaping policy.

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing is a legacy member of the organization.