Rutgers School of Nursing Magazine - Summer 2024

T “There is nothing permanent except change.” Those words, spoken by an ancient Greek philosopher, certainly ring true for the School of Nursing. Like all health sciences, the field of nursing continues to advance at a speed we could not have imagined, even a decade ago. That’s when Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, now known by the brand name Rutgers Health, was established. As you read this issue of Rutgers Nursing , you’ll see that our school is at the forefront of the revolutionary changes taking place in nursing education, research and patient care. For example, we’ve created new pipeline programs to attract more underrepresented students, have refurbished our nursing simulation labs to expand our teaching capabilities, and we are spearheading research on innovative teaching methods, using virtual reality. Great things are continually happening at the School of Nursing, which explains why our school is ranked among the top 10 percent of nursing schools in the country, and our DNP program is ranked No. 5 in the nation, per U.S. News & World Report 2024 . Change is in the works for our school’s leadership as well. Rutgers School of Nursing Dean Linda Flynn, PhD, RN, FAAN, will retire effective August 19, 2024. I would like to thank Dean Flynn for her years of dedicated service. She has overseen remarkable growth in the school’s size, diversity, national reputation, and research. I especially want to express my admiration for her commitment to fostering a diverse student body that is equitable and inclusive and provides a supportive educational experience. Dr. Flynn has garnered numerous awards, including Nurse Educator of the Year and the New Jersey Governor’s Merit Award for excellence in research. Her research in nursing staffing, health care culture, and patient outcomes has significantly influenced policies at the local, state, and federal level. An alumna who earned her PhD in nursing research from Rutgers, Dr. Flynn was one of the first students to graduate from the program. She also holds a master’s in community health nursing from Rutgers, and in 2015 she received the Rutgers School of Nursing’s Outstanding Alumni Award. Dr. Flynn was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2009 and is currently an honorary senior fellow at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania. In 2020, she was inducted as a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. After an illustrious career of exceptional accomplishments and dedication to the field of nursing and the community, Dr. Flynn will leave a legacy that has shaped nursing education at Rutgers and beyond. We wish her great happiness as she begins the next chapter of her life. Sincerely, Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH CH A NC E L LO R , R U TG E R S H E A LT H E X E CU T I V E V I C E P R E S I D E N T F O R H E A LT H A F FA I R S , R U TG E R S UN I V E R S I T Y M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H A N C E L L O R