UM Nursing

Founded in 2007, UMNursing is the Academic-Practice Partnership between the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

UMMC and UMSON are part of the academic health campus but have separate corporate structures and reporting relationships.

This partnership, built upon the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and American Organization of Nurse Executives Guiding Principles for Academic-Practice Partnerships, aims to maintain and grow a collaborative environment that promotes life-long learning and development for professional nurses through innovative opportunities for research, practice, and education focused on optimizing healthcare outcomes.

As executive sponsors of UMNursing, Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN (UMSON Dean) and Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, CENP, FAAN (UMMC Chief Nursing Officer) lead with a shared vision for strengthening nursing practice, leading change, and advancing health. This shared vision is supported through the work of the UMNursing co- chairs, Karen S. Kauffman, PhD, CRNP, RN, FAAN (UMSON Department Chair) and Greg Raymond, MS, MBA, RN (UMMC Director of Nursing), who jointly facilitate strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of the three key UMNursing working teams: Entry Level Education and Practice, Graduate Level Education and Practice, and Nursing Research. Each team is co-led by a UMSON faculty member and a UMMC nursing leader.

Entry Level Education and Practice, led by Nina Trocky, DNP, RN, NE-BC (UMSON Associate Dean for the Baccalaureate Program) and Gena Stanek, MS, RN, APRN-CNS, CNS-BC (UMMC Clinical Practice and Professional Development Coordinator) aims to explore innovative opportunities to meet the professional development needs of students and practicing nurses, both new and experienced. Through the team's work, improvements in the BSN curriculum, infrastructure to support entry into practice, and standardized development of nursing preceptors have been realized and continuously improve.

Graduate Level Education and Practice, led by Shannon Idzik, DNP, MS, CRNP (UMSON Associate Dean for the DNP Program) and Carmel McComiskey, DNP, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN (UMMC Director of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants), aims to foster collaborative practice/academic relationships that lead to advanced practice nursing (APN) student placements and facilitation of student recruitment at UMMC, as well as faculty practice sites. The many accomplishments of this team include a residency/fellowship program for newly graduated advanced practice nurses, a three-tiered professional advancement model for APNs, and expanded faculty practice opportunities for both UMSON faculty and UMMC nursing staff.

Nursing Research, led by Erika Friedmann, PhD (UMSON Associate Dean for Research) and Jenni Day, PhD, RN (UMMC Director of Nursing Research), aims to create opportunities for collaborative research among UMSON faculty and UMMC nurses. This team collaborates with other faculty members and practicing nurses to identify research priorities and opportunities, and provides mentorship in research design, implementation, and dissemination. Funding support for this research is shared between UMSON and UMMC. The work of this team has led to seven completed research studies, five of which have led to federal research grants.

The success of the UMNursing Academic-Practice Partnership has created opportunities for deeper collaboration between UMSON and UMMC and the nursing community at large. UMSON faculty and UMMC nurses serve on advisory bodies for each other's programs and initiatives to ensure synergy and continued success. We are very proud of UMNursing and have no doubt that our continued work together will have a lasting impact on the nursing community of Maryland and the health outcomes for the communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN                 Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, FAAN
   UMSON Dean and Professor                     UMMC Chief Nursing Officer