Being the No. 1 graduate school of nursing in the U.S. is of course a great thing, but it also comes with a great sense of responsibility and humility.
Rankings – of any kind – should not define us. They do not present the full picture of who we are as researchers, as healers, as collaborators, as builders of the very best nurses in the field, those who can practice to the top of their licenses. The real prize is in the impact of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni, not the accolades we receive.
Each of us has seen dire predictions of a nursing work force shortage that is expected to meet tremendous health care needs going forward. This is a time to reaffirm our commitment to excellence and building a pipeline as we prepare a new generation of nurses to lead in practice, teaching, and research.
So we’ll have a little fun as we share the good news (and a few cupcakes) with our community, and then we’ll get back to what matters – excellence in nursing education, practice, and research.
—Patricia Davidson
