News for Faculty and Staff

Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) takes a holistic approach to reviewing and selecting its cohorts for each academic program it offers. Admissions officers are available to help applicants create the best possible application for the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program and post-graduate degrees, all of which have different application deadlines based on the starting semester and the program. Each program has its own application requirements, and in two recent webinars – one for ABSN students and one for graduate programs – admissions officers outlined some helpful tips to create the best possible application.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, adult children are increasingly taking on the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents. Millions of Americans are “aging in place” out of a desire to remain independent in their homes, but soaring health costs and a shortage of health care workers means many family members with no medical training become caregivers out of necessity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Caregivers are at increased risk of having multiple chronic diseases as they may neglect their own personal health needs while providing care to others.”

Donna Biederman, DrPH, MN, RN, CPH, FAAN, DUSON associate professor, uses her nursing experience to improve health disparities and housing policies for people who are experiencing homelessness. 

The Student Success Center (SSC) at DUSON celebrated the opening of its new location on the first floor of Pearson Hall with a ribbon-cutting and rededication on Tuesday, October 31. The center started in 2020 in response to students’ increased stress brought on by the pandemic and the racial unrest and political strife that unfolded nationally following the death of George Floyd. Bernice Alston, PhD, was named director in 2021 and said the center continues to help students who need wellness support around academic stress and beyond.

Currently in the United States, there are more than 355,000 nurse practitioners providing care to patients and their families. The roles that nurse practitioners play along is expanding and their numbers continue to grow.

Commitment to DUSON’s stated Mission, Vision, and Values continues to drive accomplishments and a sense of community, says new Interim Dean Michael Relf.

The relationship between the Duke University School of Nursing and our nation’s armed forces can be traced back more than 80 years to just prior to the beginning of World War II. Since then, DUSON has built a deep and lasting legacy with the military that distinguishes it within the nursing profession.

Professors, students, and staff in the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) are collaborating with other Duke partners including the School of Medicine on an innovative study involving at-home data-collecting and monitoring of patients with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. DUSON Associate Professor Ryan Shaw, PhD, RN, is the principal investigator of the five-year, NIH-funded study called Expanding Technology-Enabled, Nurse-Delivered Chronic Disease Care (EXTEND). He is joined by his Co-Principal Investigator, Matthew Crowley, MD, from the Department of Endocrinology in the Duke School of Medicine. In June, the study enrolled 220 patients from five Duke Health System clinics who will participate in the study for two years with check-ins every three to six months.

The Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) and the Duke Center for Interprofessional Education and Care (IPEC) hosted its annual Haunted Mansion event on Thursday, October 26, where students from various disciplines participated in a Halloween-themed multi-professional simulation of health care. With two identical sessions happening simultaneously in adjacent buildings. Students rotated through in four stations, offering hands-on activities such as caring for burn wounds, performing ultrasounds and halting blood loss. In the sessions, there were three bonus activities that gave students the opportunity to practice intubation with a nurse anesthetist, learn about mental health well-being and using a nasal drug for overdose reversal.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is typically thought to affect younger white women and often important factors are underrecognized in other populations, including veterans. That is one of the reasons that Duke University School of Nursing postdoctoral fellow and clinical associate Carri Polick, Ph.D., RN, is conducting a study that examines smoking cessation among veterans with MS and how social determinants of health might affect treatment of veterans’ smoking addiction and disease trajectory.

Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, vice dean of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at DUSON initially joined the School in March, 2023. The immediate past-president of the American Nursing Association, and first-ever male to hold the position, Grant says diversity and representation in nursing matters now more than ever.

Each Fall at Duke, students from any of DUSON’s academic programs and across the University have a unique opportunity to examine the physiological, psychological and socital challenges of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) both in the United States and globally. “Understanding Sickle Cell Disease: A Biopsychosocial Approach”, was revised to an online elective course, updated, and taught by Paula Tanabe, PhD, MSN, MPH, RN, FAEN, FAAAN, Laurel Chadwick Distinguished Professor of Nursing at DUSON.