31 items

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  Ada Lindsey, PhD

  In 1995, Ada Lindsey, PhD, became the new dean of the College of Nursing. Under her leadership, the college expanded access to nursing education across the state and found new focus in research initiatives. From Ohio, Dr. Lindsey earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from the Ohio State University School of Nursing and her doctoral degree in physiology from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. She came to UNMC after serving eight years as dean of the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Nursing (1986-1995). Prior to that, she served as a faculty member and in administrative positions at Mt. Carmel School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, (1960-1967); University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore (1967-1978); and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing (1979-1986). Under Dr. Lindsey's leadership, the College of Nursing pioneered new distance learning technology methods such as teleconferencing, desktop video conferencing, and asynchronous and synchronous Internet courses. The College also received major research funding from federal and private foundations. During Dr. Lindsey’s tenure, the College of Nursing attained national recognition for its nursing education programs. Dr. Lindsey retired in 2003 after serving the College of Nursing for eight years and the field of nursing education for over forty years.
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  Blue Valley Hospital, Hebron, Nebraska

  1907-1919 Dressed by Adele Neugebauer Canfield, Class of 1918
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  Charlotte Burgess, PhB, RN, c. 1917

  Charlotte Burgess, PhB, RN, was the founding superintendent of the University of Nebraska School of Nursing. Her leadership laid the groundwork for the renowned, nationally-accredited College of Nursing we know today. Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, in 1865, Ms. Burgess attended the University of South Dakota and received her Bachelors of Philosophy degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1892. After graduation, she taught for a few years at Sioux City High School in South Dakota, before pursuing and completing her nursing degree at the Training School for Nurses in Chicago, Illinois, in 1904. Ms. Burgess continued in the nursing field, joining the Illinois Training School where she served as director of nursing education from 1908 to 1914. In 1914, Ms. Burgess enlisted with the American Red Cross Nursing Service during World War I. She served as chief nurse as a member of the Chicago Unit in Kief, Russia, from 1914 to 1915. Returning from service, Ms. Burgess went back to school as a student at the Teachers College, Columbia University. In 1917, Dean Irving Cutter, MD, at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine was in search of a superintendent for the School for Nursing and the soon-to-be-opened University Hospital. Adelaide Nutting, director of post-graduate nursing at the Teachers College, recommended Charlotte Burgess for the position. Upon arrival on campus, Ms. Burgess was tasked with recruiting faculty and students to the new program as well as staffing the new hospital with trained nurses. Through Ms. Burgess’ initiative, on September 3, 1917, University Hospital was staffed with four post-graduate nurses and the school opened shortly after with Ms. Burgess leading two faculty and 13 students. By the time the first class graduated in 1920, Ms. Burgess led a faculty of seven and a quickly growing student body. Ms. Burgess’ program was rare for the time in that it offered a curriculum that combined liberal arts and basic nursing education leading to a bachelor’s degree. Based off a standard curriculum developed by the National League for Nursing Education (NLNE), students attending the School of Nursing could earn a nursing diploma in three years and, with an additional two years of schooling, receive a bachelor’s of arts or science. Under Ms. Burgess, students learned in the classroom and in the wards of University Hospital, as they were responsible for all nursing service responsibilities. Under her leadership, seniors acted as head nurses in the hospital, learning to become leaders and educating the students below them. Ms. Burgess’ dedication to nursing education was so focused that the school was one of the original 51 programs utilized by the Committee on Accrediting of the NLNE to determine criteria for national accreditation in 1939. Ms. Burgess managed all aspects of the School of Nursing, not just education. She is credited with designing the various nursing uniforms and the signature cap that all students wore. Ms. Burgess also helped design the School of Nursing pin. Most importantly, after the residence hall fire of 1920, she helped find the resources to build Conkling Hall, which was the School of Nursing’s home for over 30 years. Outside of UNMC, Ms. Burgess was very active in local, state, and national nursing education organizations. She helped organize the Nebraska League of Nursing Education in 1920 and served as its president in 1922. Ms. Burgess was appointed to the State Board of Nurse Examiners, serving from 1921-1927. She also served on committees for the district and state nursing associations and attended NLNE conventions regularly. She was also an active member of the Red Cross and Altrusa Club. Ms. Burgess retired in 1946 after seeing the program through the Great Depression and World War II. She passed away in her family home of Vermillion, South Dakota, in 1949.
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  Class of 1937

  School of Nursing Class of 1937
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  Creighton University School of Nursing, Omaha, Nebraska

  1958-present Model dressed by Mary Ann Meister, Class of 1962
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  David City School of Nursing, David City, Nebraska

  1902-1923 Dressed by Beverly Fiala from picture and information furnished by Eliner McElravy Darrow, Class of 1923
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  Dorothy Patach, RN, MS, c. 1960

  Dorothy Patach, RN, MS, was a dedicated nurse known for her passion for student success. Following graduation, she worked as an assistant operating room supervisor at University Hospital for three years and then at Bishop Clarkson for eight years. While there she is credited with adding air conditioning to the operating rooms to provide more sterile conditions. In 1956, she taught at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs where she helped develop surgical drapes. She was involved in the testing of “Formula 99,” later named Dial Soap and proposed changing it from liquid to bar form to reduce allergic reactions in patients. In 1959, Patach joined the UNO faculty as director of the nursing program and was a faculty counselor for the pre-nursing students when the UNO and UNMC programs combined. In 1973-74, she was made joint faculty between UNMC and UNO until her retirement in 1989. In 2001, Omaha City Council designated a 7-acre property at 20th and N Streets as the Dorothy Patach Natural Environment Area. It was previously a construction dumping site and thanks to her clean up and lobbying efforts, 86 trees and natural grasses were planted instead. Dorothy Patach was one of the first student nurses without a previous college education to enroll in the University of Nebraska School of Nursing. She also earned a BA in Nutrition and an MS in Nursing Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 2012, the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association created the Dorothy M. Patach Spirit of Service Award that is presented to a UNMC College of Nursing alum who has contributed to the nursing profession as well as to his or her community and improved the lives of others.
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  Florence Nightingale
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  Freddie Powell Johnson, MA, PhD, RN, c. 1980

  Freddie Powell Johnson, MA, PhD, RN, is remembered by her colleagues for her “humanness” to students and patients. She joined the nursing staff of University Hospital and became the head nurse/supervisor before leaving in 1958 to be a nursing supervisor at the Salvation Army’s Booth Memorial Hospital in Omaha. She later taught medical-surgical nursing, quality assurance, and gerontology with clinical interest in nursing administration and elderly care at UNMC. Dr. Powell was also a clinical associate for the Visiting Nurse Association and primary nurse volunteer at a health maintenance center for the elderly. Dr. Johnson graduated with a BSN (University of Nebraska School of Nursing, 1952), and completed a post-graduate certificate in maternity nursing at Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in New Jersey in 1953. She earned an MA in Nursing Education (University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1973) and was the first recipient of the American Nurses Association Fellowship for Ethnic Minorities that enabled her to complete her PhD (University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 1976).
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  Gladys E. Sorensen, EdD, RN, FAAN, 1976

  As the second Dean of the University of Arizona College of Nursing (1967-1986), Gladys E. Sorensen, EdD, RN, FAAN, led the college to national prominence in nursing education. During her tenure, graduate education in the college, particularly the PhD program, was recognized throughout the world for excellence in nursing research. Dr. Sorensen was acknowledged by students and alumni as an excellent teacher. Her leadership in national nursing organizations helped shape the future of nursing and nursing education. Dr. Sorensen served as a Nurse Cadet in WWII, earned a BSN (University of Nebraska School of Nursing, 1945), an MSN (University of Colorado, 1951), and a PhD (Columbia University, 1964). She received both an honorary doctorate degree from UNMC in 1985 and a Distinguished Alumnus award from the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association in 1986. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1977 and served as the American Nurses Association President from 1985-1987.
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  Grand Island General, Grand Island, Nebraska

  1913-1924 Dressed by Bessie Miller Lannin, Class of 1922
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  Inaugural Hall of Fame Awards, c. 2017
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  Irma Kyle Kramer, RN, MS

  In 1946, the School of Nursing came under new leadership in the form of Irma Kyle Kramer, RN, SM. During the next two decades, the School of Nursing initiated a nursing degree program, gained national accreditation, and began providing continuing education opportunities for registered nurses in the state. From Fairfield, Iowa, Mrs. Kramer graduated magna cum laude from Parsons College in 1932. After teaching in a rural Iowa school for two years, she enrolled in the Evanston Hospital School of Nursing in Illinois, receiving a diploma in 1937. She earned a Master of Science Degree from the University of Chicago in 1940, and then served as an instructor at the Cook County Hospital School of Nursing for six years. When Mrs. Kramer became Director of the University of Nebraska School of Nursing in 1946, the School offered a three-year diploma program and a five-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree. In the early 1950's, these programs were discontinued and a four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing curriculum was established. The new program reflected Mrs. Kramer's recognition of the need for college-educated nurses with general as well as professional education. During the next few years, Mrs. Kramer continued to grow, refine, and improve the nursing program. With this growth, Mrs. Kramer saw a need for new, larger facilities. Securing the funds for construction, the new School of Nursing building was dedicated in 1957 and contained modern instructional spaces and residence quarters for students. In 1963, the faculty members of the School of Nursing were freed of all nursing responsibilities in the University Hospital, allowing them to devote their full energies to the instruction of students. Two years later, Mrs. Kramer saw the School achieve one of its major goals - accreditation by the National League of Nursing. In 1966, Mrs. Kramer resigned as director, but her leadership in nursing education continued. She obtained a sabbatical leave to study adult and continuing education at the University of Chicago, and then returned to the school in 1967 to become the first director of continuing education for nursing, a position she held until retirement in 1972. Mrs. Kramer passed away in 1993. Mrs. Kramer was active in many professional organizations. She served as president of Altrusa International and the Nebraska Nurses' Association, was vice president of the Nebraska League for Nursing, and was a member of the State Board of Nursing. She was an honorary member of the College of Nursing Alumni Association and an emeritus professor of the College of Nursing. In 1981, the College of Nursing presented Irma Kyle Kramer with the Distinguished Service to Nursing Award for her contributions to nursing and nursing education. The College of Nursing established the Irma Kyle Kramer Award for Academic Excellence in her honor. The award is given annually to a student from each campus with the highest GPA.
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  Juliann Sebastian, PhD, RN, FAAN, c. 2016

  Juliann G. Sebastian, PhD, RN, FAAN, was appointed dean and professor of the UNMC College of Nursing on October 15, 2011. She previously served as dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis since 2006. Before that, she served as assistant dean for Advanced Practice Nursing and professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. Dr. Sebastian earned her bachelor's and master's of science in nursing from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and her doctorate in Business Administration from the College of Business and Economics there. As dean, Dr. Sebastian supported growth in the College of Nursing’s programs across the state. Most notably, she oversaw major building projects on both the Lincoln and Kearney campuses. In 2015, The College of Nursing Kearney Division moved into the Health Science Education Complex, a state-of-the-art facility shared with the College of Allied Health. In 2018, the Lincoln Division moved into a new cutting-edge facility that is shared with the University Health Center at UNL. Dr. Sebastian’s areas of expertise are organization of care delivery systems (with special focus on underserved populations), academic nursing practice and nurse-managed centers, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program curricula. She has presented widely at national and international conferences on these topics and has had numerous papers, book chapters, abstracts, and three books related to community nursing published. She was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellowship program (1998-2001) and focused her fellowship work on academic nursing practice and system change. Dr. Sebastian has been active in numerous national and international professional organizations. She was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) in 1999. She co-chaired the Fellows Selection Committee for the AAN for two years (2006-07) and is a member of the AAN Quality Expert Panel. She also served as the Vice President of Sigma Theta Tau International from 1995-97 and Chair of the Board of the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation from 1997-2001. She served on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials of Practice Doctoral Programs Task Force (2004-06) and as the Board of Directors liaison to the MSN Essentials Task Force (2008-11). Prior to that, she was a member of the AACN Task Force on the Clinical Doctorate (2002-04) that developed recommendations for practice doctoral preparation for advanced nursing practice in the future. Dr. Sebastian served as a AACN Board Member-At-Large (2008-2010) and as Secretary on the AACN Board of Directors (2010-2014). Dr. Sebastian served as Chair-Elect of AACN (2014-2016) and served as Chair of the AACN Board of Directors (2016-18). Dr. Sebastian's awards include recognition as one of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing's fifty outstanding alumni in 2010 and induction into their Hall of Fame in 2011.
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  Kathryn Barnard, PhD, RN, FAAN, 1960

  Pioneer in Evidence-Based Practice and Distance Learning Kathryn Barnard, PhD, RN, FAAN, was known for her work in parenting and infancy, and early childhood development at the University of Washington School of Nursing. She founded both the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training program to teach professional caregivers and parents how to better care for newborns, infants, and young children, and the Center on Infant Mental Health and Development. The Center was renamed in her honor in 2012. Dr. Barnard worked at the Douglas County Hospital in Omaha in 1954. She earned a BSN (University of Nebraska School of Nursing, 1960), an MSN (Boston University, 1963), and a PhD (University of Washington, 1972). She was named a fellow in the Institute of Medicine in 1985, a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing in 2006 and received an honorary Doctor of Science from UNMC in 1990.
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  Kristina Carlson & Sandra Jolley accept Hall of Fame Award for Kathryn Barnard, 2017
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  Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, RN, c. 2020

  Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, was appointed dean of the UNMC College of Nursing on July 3, 2023. She came to UNMC from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts where she served as dean of the College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences at Simmons University from 2019-2023. Dr. Sharp-McHenry previously served as dean of the College of Nursing at Oklahoma Baptist University and assistant director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas. Through her expertise in higher education, health care and regulation, Dr. Sharp-McHenry is recognized as a leader in her field and an enthusiastic advocate who actively supports initiatives to ensure the highest quality education and accessible health care. A practicing nurse since 1981, her educational background includes an associate of science in nursing at Southern Arkansas University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Arkansas, a Master of Science in Nursing (clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric mental health) from the University of Oklahoma and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice in executive leadership from Union University. Dr. Sharp-McHenry has held leadership roles in such national organizations as the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She has published and co-authored articles and served as an expert panel member in the development of clinical practice guidelines in the long-term care field.
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  Lutheran Hospital, Beatrice, Nebraska

  1904-1932 Model dressed by Florence Albrect, Class of 1915
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  Nebraska Methodist School of Nursing, c. 1959
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  Nebraska Sanitarium, Hasting, Nebraska

  School of Nursing, 1910-1923 Model dressed by A. V. Christianson, technical advice by Ethel Evans Kenney, Class of 1919
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  Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, Nebraska

  1917-1927 Dressed by Leona K. Nelson, Class of 1926
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  Nurse's Cape and Cap
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  Nursing students on the steps of University Hospital, 1936
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  Orthopedic Hospital, Lincoln, Nebraska

  1905 – 1931 Dressed by Ruby Shafer McArthur, student 1931
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  Presbyterian Hospital, also known as Birchmont, Omaha, Nebraska

  1893-1924