“Nursing students begin to see life in a different way and understand that it is a fragile gift. Being successful in the School of Nursing at CNR means that students have to be humanistic, smart, focused, serious, and willing to work very hard.” Dr. Connie Vance, RN, EdD , FAAN Professor of Nursing School of Nursing The College of New Rochelle

From your experience at CNR, what do you think makes the School of Nursing a special place?

The College of New Rochelle faculty and students in the School share a common bond of being or becoming members of a noble profession that provides an essential service to society. This fact creates an important focus to our teaching and learning. The faculty and our students know that we share a common value of serving people in health or illness—that we made a choice to care for people who are suffering—and that we make an enormous difference in people’s lives.  So we hold common goals and interests. Also, the astonishing diversity of the students in the School of Nursing creates a very dynamic situation. Our students come from all over the world, representing many different cultures, ages, educational and experiential backgrounds, and are both women and men. The faculty have students in their classes who have arrived from high school, are already nurses, hold degrees in other fields, and who are studying at both undergraduate and graduate levels. So the diversity of our students is really exciting.

What sort of student is most successful at the College and School of Nursing?

Nursing students must be very focused on the discipline of nursing. It is a serious and challenging curriculum, both in the classroom and in the clinical areas. Our students are witnesses to birth and death; they experience the pain and suffering of their patients; they must know what they are doing; their knowledge spans a variety of sciences. They must possess high moral and ethical standards. Nursing students begin to see life in a different way and understand that it is a fragile gift. Being successful in the School of Nursing at CNR means that students have to be humanistic, smart, focused, serious, and willing to work very hard.

Describe some of the opportunities available to nursing students outside the classrooms.

As part of the curriculum, students have clinical learning opportunities all over the metropolitan area. It is fortunate that our School has a fine reputation, so that doors are open to students in every possible clinical setting—from medical centers to community and home care settings to schools, clinics, industry, and private offices. CNR nursing students are very ingenious and flexible since they have had an incredible variety of experiences. They study and work with nurses, doctors and a variety of other health care professionals who mentor and teach them in many different specialty areas. And of course, their patients reflect the multiculturalism of the New York metropolitan area. Our students are also finding learning opportunities in international settings and in different parts of our country.

Talk about your work in Central America and how students and faculty from the School of Nursing are involved.

Since 2001, I have served on the Board of Trustees of Hope for a Healthier Humanity (HHH), established by Dr. Mary Healey-Sedutto, whose mission is to assist developing nations of the Caribbean and Latin America achieve sustainable improvements in health sciences education and the delivery of health services.  An important focus of our work in Central America is teaching promotores (health promoters) who provide primary health care in poor remote villages. Working with local educators and health providers, I developed a basic curriculum that provides the learners with essential health information to treat babies, mothers, and families. Our faculty and students will be assisting in this education and health promotion project.  The College and School of Nursing have a formal affiliation with HHH through the leadership of President Sweeny and Dean Donius, and this partnership will have mutually beneficial outcomes. It’s a wonderful opportunity for responding to societal needs through education and service. Our School also has established a Global Honors Program that will further support the involvement of students and faculty in a variety of global initiatives.

Where do your graduates go after leaving CNR?

Both our baccalaureate and master’s students are sought after by clinical agencies everywhere. We like our label of being “CNR NURSES” because we know it means our students are truly professional nurses—they care deeply about their patients and provide them with the best possible, quality care; they practice in an holistic framework; they possess high ethical standards and are advocates for their patients and families. Our students are prepared to be leaders in service to society and to transform the health care system, which is in disarray. The faculty and students share a strong bond, and we remain in touch with them as they progress in their careers. We’ve just established a Nurse Advocacy Forum that will provide networking, mentoring, and problem-solving opportunities for our novice nurse alums, faculty, and senior students. Clearly, we are enormously proud of the legacy of our nursing graduates.