News & Events

Two faculty members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have been awarded 2022-23 University System of Maryland (USM) Wilson H. Elkins Professorships, which supports professors and researchers who demonstrate exemplary ability to inspire students and whose professional work and scholarly endeavors make a positive impact at their institutions, across USM, and beyond. The professorships, awarded through Wilson H. Elkins Endowment funds, are intended to support compelling projects with a focus on research, scholarship, or community engagement that will allow each Elkins Professor to make an important contribution to the teaching, research, or public service mission of the institution and the entire USM. The UMB honorees are Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, UMB Distinguished University Professor and professor, Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, and founder and co-director of the Biology and Behavior Across the Lifespan Research Center of Excellence at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON); and Heather B. Congdon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, FNAP, professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and co-director of UMB’s Center for Interprofessional Education. “The quality of research and commitment to educating our students is a consistent theme throughout our university system,” said USM Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Life Joann Boughman, PhD. “It is special to recognize these select faculty members with these prestigious awards in support of their work.” Candidates for the Elkins Professorship must possess a solid record of achievement in their academic or professional disciplines; demonstrate a desire and ability to lead and inspire undergraduate and graduate students; show significant achievement beyond their traditional disciplines; and demonstrate ability and intent to pursue scholarly or professional endeavors beyond USM. As an Elkins Professor, Resnick will advance the development of a replicable model for successfully implementing national guidelines on pain management in older individuals in long-term care facilities to improve assessment, diagnosis, and pain management among residents. She has received a $68,000 award. “We congratulate Dr. Resnick on this tremendous honor,” said Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of UMSON. “Her nationally and internationally recognized research on the care of older adults has had major clinical significance, providing evidence of the importance of function-focused care in maintaining overall physical ability and decreasing behavioral symptoms. Her project as a Wilson H. Elkins Professor holds tremendous promise for informing clinical practice by improving pain management among older adults in long-term care settings. We are extremely proud of our nurse scientist colleague and deeply appreciate the University System of Maryland for supporting her scholarly work and that of others through the Elkins Professorship.” Read More

Baltimore, Md. – In the newly released 2022 - 23 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s (UMSON) BSN program ranked No. 9 in the nation, moving up one spot from last year’s ranking, the first time nursing schools offering baccalaureate degrees were included. UMSON tied with five other institutions for the No. 9 spot out of the 681 accredited nursing schools ranked. Among public schools of nursing, UMSON ranked No. 3 in the nation, tied with four other public institutions. UMSON’s BSN program continues to be the top-ranked such program in Maryland. UMSON’s BSN program encompasses an entry-into-nursing program and an RN-to-BSN program for already licensed practicing nurses. The program prepares students to excel in nursing careers across a broad spectrum of acute, chronic, and community-based settings. National data indicates that employers increasingly prefer and, in some cases, require, a baccalaureate degree. The School is among the first in the nation to launch an entirely revised BSN curriculum for incoming students this fall, in alignment with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s new Essentials. The new curriculum includes courses geared toward a new generation of learners, focused on personal wellness, palliative care, and public health. Additionally, two new clinical practice initiatives with the University of Maryland Medical System — the Practicum to Practice Partnership and the Academy of Clinical Essentials — will provide students expanded and advanced clinical opportunities. Before beginning studies at UMSON, students must complete two years of undergraduate education at another accredited college or university, to fulfill the necessary prerequisites. In addition to serving practicing nurses seeking a BSN degree, UMSON’s RN-to-BSN program boasts dual-admission partnerships with all 15 community colleges in Maryland that offer an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, enabling a smooth transition for ADN students into UMSON’s BSN program. “It is extremely gratifying to be recognized as one of the top baccalaureate nursing programs in the nation,” said Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “We are proud to play an important role in efforts within Maryland and throughout the nation to increase the number of nurses. With the increasing complexity of care and the variety of settings in which it is delivered, our baccalaureate-educated nurses are extraordinarily well prepared to respond to the challenge. Given the current shortage of nursing personnel, we have been fortunate to be able to increase the number of students in both our entry-into-practice baccalaureate program and our RN-to-BSN program. These nurses will play a vital role in meeting the current and future needs of our health care system, serving individuals across the lifespan in our very diverse communities.” Rankings are determined by scores received from surveys of top academics and officials at nursing schools or departments at institutions nationwide that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. In addition, the institutions must be regionally accredited and have recently awarded at least 40 BSN degrees. # # # The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has renewed its partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps to participate in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) for an additional five years, after its launch of the program in 2017. It is the only school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to offer the program. After serving in countries around the world, RPCVs can apply to UMSON and for the Coverdell Fellowship, which offers a scholarship equal to approximately 25% of the student’s tuition and fees. Each year, UMSON accepts one or two RPCVs as Fellows. These students bring their global expertise to communities and neighborhoods in Baltimore while studying at UMSON, which offers them an opportunity to apply their global expertise and unique perspectives to enter or advance in a career in nursing. Through service-learning experiences, they work to improve people’s lives in underserved communities, build upon the skills and expertise they developed during their Peace Corps service, and advance the Peace Corps’ third goal: bringing the world back home. “This program brings students with global experience to the School of Nursing and into or upward in the profession of nursing,” says UMSON Coverdell Fellows Program coordinator Lori A. Edwards, DrPH, BSN ’80, RN, CNS-PCH, BC, assistant professor and interim associate dean for the MSN program. “With a social justice perspective and skills in community partnerships, they work in collaboration with community agencies to address social determinants of health in Baltimore. All of this helps us, helps the students, and helps Baltimore.” At UMSON, fellows can earn an entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or a Master of Science in Nursing degree in either the entry-into-nursing Clinical Nurse Leader option or the Community/Public Health Nursing specialty. Fellows can take advantage of specialized career mentoring from Edwards and other UMSON faculty who served in the Peace Corps. As part of their studies, Coverdell Fellows may enroll in elective courses offered through the University of Maryland, Baltimore Graduate School that focus on service learning and population health in Baltimore. To apply their Peace Corps experience locally, Fellows volunteer in a community agency in Baltimore during their nursing program. “Growing the career paths for nurses with Peace Corps service who have applied their expertise in Baltimore and into nursing makes the future of nursing very exciting,” Edwards adds. UMSON has supported five Coverdell Fellows since 2017. More than 5,000 RPCVs have participated in the Coverdell Fellows program since its inception in 1985 at the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. Today there are more than 120 university partners across the country. This renewed partnership makes UMSON one of only about a dozen nursing programs nationally that participate. # # # The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.