As our magazine's name suggests, legacy is important
and each leadership transition allows us to take new steps to guide us into the future. I’m thrilled to be serving as dean at a time when the University is gaining momentum under the leadership of President Ryan and his new team. There is palpable optimism across Grounds that together, with our multicultural community, we will fortify our partnerships as good neighbors and continue our work to serve the public good—being, as President Ryan often says, both great and good.
In this next phase, I believe we must amplify our leadership as a School and as individuals. As a School, we’re committed to serving and transforming lives by promoting health and the quality of healthcare. There are many ways we’ve shown we’re verygood: establishing an inclusive community that is compassionate and respectful for those who learn and work within; having an award-winning academic healthy work environment; and teaching resilience and compassion across disciplines to enhance wellbeing, promote professional longevity, and improve care delivery.
As individuals, many of us are already leaders, and teach students they, too, can follow the same path. I challenge everyone to step up their influence locally, nationally and globally through activism for social causes affecting public welfare, through research that informs how nurses influence health and address better care, by encouraging dialogue with students about nurses’ inherent responsibility to lead, or simply by speaking up and acting when we witness care or an environment that is inconsistent with our values. Let us not be content to be bystanders.
Building a leadership legacy means being bold. It may also mean stepping out of a comfort zone, having a difficult conversation, or confronting a sensitive or complex issue. My expectation is that we raise our voices and stick out our elbows so that no onetakes the School for granted but, rather, seeks out our opinion, help, and leadership to tackle the tough issues we face. The solutions we’ll share will drive us to be great.
Warmly,
Pam Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Sadie Heath Cabaniss Professor of Nursing
First vice-president, International Council of Nurses
@PamCirpianoRN