Strategic plans, my longtime colleague Delores Fields reminded me, shouldn’t end up in desk drawers.

The sad fact is, though, many if not most of them do: a box that was checked then shelved somewhere out of sight, only to gather dust. It’s not that our intentions when we begin planning aren’t pure or real: it’s just that the day-to-day clouds our direction, we get busy, distracted, and fall back into well-established habits and patterns.

But this is a singular moment for the nursing profession. And I don’t believe it’s ever been more important for us to be intentional and purposeful about what we do, how we do it, and how we thoughtfully, strategically move forward together. The profession, American healthcare, and American nursing schools’ very survival depends on it.

We began our strategic planning journey in 2022 by coming together to determine our mission, vision, and values:

We improve lives through nursing. We transform health through exceptional care, science, learning, and influence. In close alignment with UVA Health’s ASPIRE values, we are a learning community rooted in compassion and respect that values trust, equity, excellence, collaboration, and knowledge.

Our 10-year strategic plan, Our Extraordinary Future, moves in lockstep with UVA Health’s One Future Together: Health & Hope for All, in sync with UVA’s Great and Good plan, and extends upon our own IDEA plan.

In this issue of VNL, we go beyond stating our lofty aspirations to show you where the rubber meets the road, the action, that symbolizes our four goals’ progress forward as we begin this work. We also showcase important work of faculty who are advocates for nurse practitioner autonomy, rural and global health, champions of emerging nurse scientists, and people absolutely committed to the student experience in communities both here and abroad.  We also celebrate the work, inspiration, and history of nurses who are integral parts of the U.S. Armed Forces.

So many community members make this School—which is ranked among the top one percent of American BSN programs, in the top three percent of nursing graduate programs, a two-time “Best School for Men in Nursing,” and a four-time Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award winner—what it is. I thank all of you for your support of our School, our profession, our community members, and for reading this issue of VNL.

Be well,

Marianne Baernholdt, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
The Pew Charitable Trusts Dean and Professor, UVA School of Nursing
Dean of Professional Nursing, UVA Health