VOICES OF THE SON

Professor Maryann Fralic is a "Leader to Watch"
There are many kinds of nurse leaders. Some are very operational and internally focused. Others are operational but are also constantly looking for the answer to “what’s next?” Maryann Fralic is one of those leaders who have the uncanny ability to look into the future and prepare current leaders for the next reality that she sees. In the August 2006 issue of Nurse Leader, Fralic is asked about how she learned those skills and what her advice is for leaders of the future.  Read about Maryann Fralic, a "Leader to Watch"

Why Does the Class of 2008 Want to Join our "Club"?
The traditional Class of 2008 just started classes at JHUSON.  At the student orientation, we asked them "Why do you want to be a Hopkins nurse?"  The answers were as varied and diverse as the student body itself.   Read why new students want to be Hopkins nurses.

Students Tell All in JHUSON Weblogs
The School of Nursing welcomes three new writers to the school's blog website:

Graduate student Dietra Wynn writes: "Sanibonani is the plural form of Hello in Zulu. I was selected to participate in the MIRT (Minority International Research Training) Program, which provides training experiences abroad to students interested in minority-focused research. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in research at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa! I’ve always wanted to go to The Continent, and to go there for such a lengthy stay (3 months) and as a part of a special cause made the experience even better than I expected."

Curtis Wong, Accel ’07 ponders why he and his classmates have left their old lives in search of a Hopkins nursing education:  “I know some of us have thought about turning around for various reasons whether personal, family related, or sheer laziness (me!). But there are benefits to why we’re here. We have the opportunity to change lives…If I help someone even in a small way, then I’m doing my job and I don’t need to be recognized for my work….What you think about yourself and what you do with your actions are all that matter.”

And Mary O’Rourke, Director of Admissions and Student Services has joined the student bloggers: “Reading the entries from our student bloggers has been much fun. As soon as I had the opportunity to jump on the band wagon as a staff blogger, I did! To me this is a wonderful opportunity to let students know the many hats we wear in the Office of Admissions & Student Services and how we may assist them.”

Hospice Nurse Speaks of the Beauty and
Tragedy that is Calcutta
Rosemary Dew received her BS in nursing from JHUSON in 2000, just one month before her 50th birthday.  Rosemary's new book, In Mother Teresa’s House: A Hospice Nurse in the Slums of Calcutta, follows her journey of compassion as she travels to Calcutta to volunteer in Mother Teresa's House for Sick and Dying Destitutes. She offers a first-hand account of life among the poorest of the poor and how the commitment of humble volunteers can make all the difference in the world when they offer what people need most: compassion, understanding, and human dignity.

Associate Dean Jeri Allen Praised for Mentorship
In a recent note to Dean Martha Hill, Dr. Patricia Archbold, Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative Program Director, praised the mentorship SON Associate Dean Jeri Allen has provided to their Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar during the past year. She noted that Dr. Allen's "invaluable work is preparing the next generation of gerontological nursing leaders; providing a firm foundation for exciting academic careers; and contributing substantively to the knowledge base related to care for elders, all of which reflect well on your school."

Lebanese Nursing Students Stuck In Baltimore
The July 29 Baltimore Sun article "Stuck in Baltimore, students can only worry about home," features four nursing students from the American University in Beirut in Lebanon.  "The group began a seven-week clinical residency program for master's degree students with the Johns Hopkins University's School of Nursing - the first to do so - in early June, but because of the war that broke out near the end of the program, they have been unable to return to their homes.  'As nurses, we feel helpless here,' says [Suha] Ballout, 26. 'When you see a picture and you see children getting bombed and women getting killed in a barbaric way, it's very sad.'"

New Gurtler Scholar Shares Peace Corps Experiences
Breelyn M. Elsbernd, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and member of the JHUSON Accelerated Class of 2007, was named 2006 recipient of the John R. and Ruth Ward Gurtler Scholarship.  In her letter of thanks to the Gurtler Foundation, she credits her Peace Corps experience as "the determining factor in my decision to pursue a career in nursing....my career path has been inextricably tied to underserved populations and has ultimately led to healthcare."  Read Bree's Letter to the Foundation.

SON Alums' Dreams Come True on
Ellen DeGeneres Show
Three members of the SON class of 2005—Jenn Hughes and her classmates Melinda Hrabe and Jocalyn Emslander - appeared on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" on May 15, 2006.  Ellen made their crazy dreams come true by sending them to trapeze school!  View our alumni flying high at http://ellen.warnerbros.com/funstuff/crazydream/.