Honoring Nursing
Our college honors nursing in all of its forms across the entire year. For this National Nurses Week on May 6-12, 2025, we will share impactful storytelling around several of our core priorities to showcase how our students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners answer their calling to care: research, teaching and learning, practice, service, advocacy and innovation.
Engage with us here and on our social media platforms, where you'll find more great stories to honor the impact of nursing in all of its forms. Engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
Research
Nursing science transforms lives and communities. We spotlight the groundbreaking research of faculty including Chris Fortney, PhD, Karen Moss, PhD and Jin Jun, PhD, whose work supports families in the NICU, uplifts caregivers and advocates for change in the workplace. Their scholarship strengthens the nursing profession and advances healthcare across every stage of life. Learn more about our two research centers at the college: the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth and the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care.
Teaching and Learning
At the heart of nursing education is a deep commitment to student growth. Faculty members including Christa Newtz, MS help students step into the profession with confidence, competence, compassion and clarity. Their guidance ensures that each new nurse is prepared not just with technical skills, but also with inspiration and determination to change healthcare for the better to benefit all people. Take a glimpse inside Christa’s nursing classroom:
Practice
Nurses turn knowledge into healing through direct care every day. At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, our Total Health Care Center and clinics across our communities, they lead with empathy, expertise and courage. Nurse leaders including Jacalyn Buck, PhD and Deana Sievert, DNP, along with frontline caregivers such as Mackenzie Decatur, exemplify the passion and dedication that drives high-quality patient care. Watch the following videos to hear their stories:
Our nurses strengthen communities by listening deeply, building trust and expanding access to care for those who need it most. For example, Carolyn Gunther, PhD, leads efforts that bring care directly into communities through nutrition education and neighborhood-based health initiatives. Her work reflects our college’s broader commitment to making care more accessible for all.
Advocacy
Part of our advocacy mission is to actively advocate for positive and significant change across the healthcare landscape that supports the nursing profession and improves and prioritizes equal access to quality, safe care. One of the epitomes of that promise is our Community Health Workers (CHW) Training Program, the largest of its kind in the state of Ohio.
CHWs are trusted connectors who bridge gaps between healthcare systems and the communities they support. Our program equips participants with the tools to advocate, educate and support individuals and families, addressing critical needs including housing, education and overall health and well-being. We spotlight two of the CHW program’s main drivers – clinical practicum coordinator Sarah Posten, C-CHW and program coordinator Milu Nguyen – whose leadership and lived experience shape the program’s success and strengthen our college’s commitment to community-centered care.
“There are countless success stories showcasing the incredible work that Community Health Workers (CHWs) are doing in the community, making it difficult to highlight just one. However, what stands out most is the profound impact this program has on the CHWs themselves. I have witnessed individuals who have hit rock bottom rebuild their lives, overcoming addiction and transforming their hardships into a driving force to help others. Their personal experiences fuel their commitment, allowing them to support others with genuine understanding and without judgment. What makes CHWs truly remarkable is their approach—they walk alongside the individuals they serve. They are not behind them pushing, nor ahead waiting for them to catch up, but right beside them, offering guidance, empathy and unwavering support.”
"Our Community Health Worker Program has impacted me both personally and professionally. I completed the program in 2016, and it gave me the inspiration and confidence I needed to support others and serve my community."
Innovation
Nurses drive innovation and solution-building by creating tools and care models that meet the needs of an evolving world. Notable work is being led by alumnus, Samantha “Sam” Warren, RN, PCCN (‘19), Hunter Jeffries, and Justin Kelly. Take a look below to learn more:
"I had been a nurse for seven years before deciding to take the step to further my education. I do not think I knew it at the time, but I had dabbled in innovation with a unit project that assessed if using a mirror and turning the patients towards the windows in the intensive care unit (ICU) rooms would impact/prevent ICU delirium. Fast forward to 2018, it was this project that led me to pursue the Master of Healthcare Innovation (MHI) program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Now, if you told me that I would have to complete a master's degree during a global pandemic, I might have questioned my choices. But I have always considered myself a jack-of-all trades and the philosophy of innovation felt like a perfect fit for me. My capstone project in the MHI program was Virtual Rounding in the ICU. Utilizing design thinking methodologies and process, we did experience a few roadblocks during the defining and ideating phases of the project. But cue the pandemic and the fact that patient's loved ones were unable to visit in the hospital, the stars aligned (unfortunately and fortunately), and we were able to provide a viable solution to a problem that we did not anticipate would present itself. Upon completion of the capstone project, I sought out to integrate the steps of innovation process into my daily nursing practice and I am constantly seeking out ways to improve the care that I deliver at the bedside."
Happy birthday, Florence Nightingale
The close of National Nurses Week always coincides with the birthdate of Florence Nightingale, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern nursing. Dean Karen Rose, PhD, reflects on Florence’s groundbreaking approach to care, which forms the foundation on which our college continues to build. Watch the enclosed video to hear a heartfelt tribute to the nursing profession from Dean Rose.
