People often find their way into nursing science accidentally: a book they’ve read, an opportunity that pops up,

or a chance encounter with a professor they like. Unless they see and understand what nursing science really looks like, up close, such a career might not naturally come into focus.

Goal champion Jeanne Alhusen, associate dean for nursing research, is out to change that paradigm. By intentionally putting structures into place—paid year-round undergraduate research internships, fellowships and post-docs that seamlessly transition into assistant professor roles, pop-up visits to the National Institutes of Health, research-themed cookies at coffee meet and greets, or open-ended invitations to take part in writing accountability groups—she aims to inspire nurses to purposefully enter scholarship, academia, and education.

Part of that means changing perceptions.

“There is no one path into nursing science. Yes, nurse scientists have personal, singular goals they pursue, but they’re also enveloped by a community of people who feed and inspire them. That requires creativity, flexibility, and imagination, and the hope that a spark followed by organized support and engagement keeps them on a research track.”

Jeanne Alhusen, associate dean for nursing research and UVA Medical Center Endowed Professor of Nursing

“There is no one path into nursing science,” Alhusen said. “Yes, nurse scientists have personal, singular goals they pursue, but they’re also enveloped by a community of people who feed and inspire them. That requires creativity, flexibility, and imagination, and the hope that a spark followed by organized support and engagement keeps them on a research track.”

Alhusen’s Office for Nursing Research shapes that track, offers a host of ways for nurse scientists to come together, learn, and grow alongside faculty members like associate professor Meghan Mattos (MSN ’09), an NIH-funded nurse scientist studying the impact an online tool to treat insomnia might have on patients with mild cognitive impairment’s descent into dementia. 

Learn more about the School's novel post-doctoral fellow to tenure track assistant professor positions and meet a few of our post-doctoral fellows, including Crystal Chu, Maria McDonald, Victoria Petermann, and Alanna Bergman.

Questions about the post-doctoral positions may be directed to associate dean and professor Jeanne Alhusen.