The Next Nurse Scientists

This fall, the many wonderful students we welcomed to Penn Nursing included our first cohort of Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation. These academically talented, committed, and foresighted students are planning careers as cutting-edge leaders and researchers. With the generous support of the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, we have begun mentoring these five inaugural scholars along a streamlined BSN-to-PhD pathway.

Led by our own Terry Richmond, PhD, RN, acclaimed for her expertise in nursing education, the program’s diverse and demanding curriculum incorporates interdisciplinary education with research career development and guidance starting at the undergraduate level. Students work closely with faculty mentors and collaborate with established research teams in Penn Nursing’s renowned research centers.

This is a program of national importance. It is no secret that we are facing a severe shortage of nursing faculty in the United States. The average age of nurses graduating with a PhD now hovers near 45 years old, and data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing show that 77 percent of nurse faculty are over the age of 50 years.

We expect that our Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation will complete their PhDs within seven years of entering Penn Nursing, giving them decades to develop and mature a program of research and advance nursing knowledge. Their program of study is designed to prepare them as innovative nurse leaders who will drive the future of nursing, healthcare, and the health of society. The first cohort of Hillman Scholars in Nursing Innovation and their research interests are:

• Kaitlin Best, critically ill children
• Whitney Eriksen, cognitive dysfunction and autism
• Hayley Germack, health of immigrant populations
• Linda Kang, health policy and the nursing workforce
• Kaori Sakanashi, vulnerable non-English-speaking immigrants.

These future nurse leaders have big energy, big talent, and big plans. They are working side-by-side with our premier Nursing faculty and are being integrated into our broad and rich research community, which crisscrosses the world. I wholeheartedly agree with our scholar Kaori, who said that this initiative presents “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” For all of us here, starting young nurses on a journey to becoming the scholars of the future is a dream come true.