A message from Jill Guttormson, dean of the College of Nursing

Dear Alumni,

Service to others lies at the heart of Marquette's identity and challenges us to discern what it means to be a servant leader. This discernment also lies at the heart of the nursing profession.

You will read about several examples of Marquette nurses putting their skills to work for vulnerable people in this newsletter. Our graduate-level pediatric nursing programs are fantastic examples of this. We offer both primary care and acute care tracks for nurses who feel purpose-driven to work for children. I say "for" and not "with" intentionally, because pediatric nursing is just as much about the families as the children. Serving children means serving the parents, siblings and grandparents who are worried about their family member too. Our program takes a holistic view of what it means to be a pediatric nurse practitioner, teaching students the interpersonal skills necessary to thrive at the bedside and beyond.

I continue to be blown away by the work Braden Wolthuis, one of our graduate-level alumni, does with incarcerated patients. In one of the most difficult environments a nurse could possibly be in, Wolthuis stays mission-driven to give prisoners the best possible care. We can all learn something from his compassion. I'm also impressed by the work our students in the Les Aspin Center for Government do. Over the course of a semester spent in Washington, D.C., students learn about the intersection of nursing and policy in ways that will help them be advocates for societal change. Their voices are needed, and they are ready to answer the call.

Service comes in many different forms as a nurse: to the patient, to the health care organization, to one's community, country and even planet. I'm proud to know Marquette nurses who selflessly work to make life better for others in all those areas, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of nurses do the same.

Sincerely,
Jill Guttormson
College of Nursing Dean