In April 1941, prior to U.S. involvement in World War II, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) issued a call for schools of nursing to increase enrollment to train more nurses for military, health, and civilian service. Duke responded by admitting 84 students in October 1941, an increase from 58 the previous year.

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.

Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) Assistant Professor Brandon Knettel, Ph.D., was recently awarded a grant by the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), where Knettel holds a secondary appointment as assistant research professor, to fund travel for East African scholars partnering with each other and Duke to impact mental health care in the region. The year-long grant will allow scholars from the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Tanzania, Moi University in Kenya, and Makerere University in Uganda to attend workshops at each of those institutions to learn about focused areas of expertise. The two-day workshops will include a combination of didactic training; visits to research and clinical sites to learn about existing services; collaborative planning for capacity building and funding opportunities; and professional networking.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Michael Cary's relentless pursuit of health equity and groundbreaking research redefines healthcare's future at Duke University School of Nursing

Duke University School of Nursing recently had 13 Neonatal Nurse Practitioner students whose poster abstracts were selected for the Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (FANNP) national conference.