University of Kansas School of Nursing

08/24/2026

Welcome, Class of 2028! 💙 Last week, KU School of Nursing hosted Dedication to the Profession ceremonies in Kansas City and Salina where students recited their professional oath and donned KU Nursing jackets, signifying the start of their nursing education journey. A total of 190 future nurses make up the incoming class of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students.

The Kansas City ceremony also featured the KU Nursing Alumni Awards and included a panel discussion with the honorees who shared their perspectives and advice with the students.

08/20/2026

New nursing students have been busy with orientation activities on our Kansas City and Salina campuses this week. Students met with faculty, staff and student ambassadors, learned about student activities, explored the campuses and took a deep dive into topics like time management, well-being strategies and much more.

We will officially welcome the Class of 2028 at tomorrow's Dedication to the Profession event. Join us online at 1 p.m. CST: https://bit.ly/4cyW5oX

08/19/2026

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, KU School of Nursing will host the Dedication to the Profession and Alumni Awards Ceremony — an opportunity to welcome the Class of 2028 and recognize distinguished alumni.

The combined event brings together our newest nursing students with our experienced alumni to honor the shared values, dedication and excellence of our profession. During the ceremony, we will recognize the outstanding achievements of this year's awardees:

🔹Distinguished Alumni: Barb Geiger, BSN, RN
🔹Early Career Alumni: Jenna Newkirk, BSN, RN
🔹Honorary Alumni: Barbara Demarest

Join the momentous event virtually: https://bit.ly/4cyW5oX
And learn more about this year's honorees: https://bit.ly/43G2s63

📷: 2026 Alumni Awardees

08/18/2026

KU School of Nursing alumna Clare Fox, DNP '22, APRN, PMHNP-BC, PMGT-BC, was featured on The University of Kansas Health System's Take Five show for work she started during her Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her project, Reducing Violence Against Nurses through the Implementation of a Violence Risk Assessment Tool, is now being used to support nurses' workplace safety.

"It’s been incredibly rewarding to have my DNP project implemented and actively used in my workplace," said Dr. Fox. "Workplace violence in healthcare has serious consequences for both employees and patients, so addressing it in a meaningful way is essential. The University of Kansas Health System has been intentional about prioritizing prevention efforts that support a culture of respect, safety and accountability."

Learn more about Dr. Fox in this Q&A, where she provides insights into her project and shares how KU's DNP program prepared her for her role as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner:

Workplace safety program developed during KU Doctor of Nursing Practice program recently featured by The University of Kansas Health System.

08/13/2026

A $1.6 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF is helping fund the education of 37 KU School of Nursing BSN students. The number is slated to grow to approximately 170 students over four years.

In the latest edition of the KU Nursing Magazine, hear from three of our first Conway Scholars, as they share their paths to nursing and the impact of the scholarship: https://bit.ly/4z146MX

08/12/2026

Be part of the conversation! 📢 Join KU School of Nursing for our first town hall on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m. CST. During the one-hour virtual event, participants will hear from Dean Giddens, learn about our curriculum changes and competency-based education from a panel discussion and have their questions answered in a Q&A session.

↳ Submit your questions online for consideration before the event: https://bit.ly/4cBCRir
↳ Join the town hall via Zoom:
Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://kumc-edu.zoom.us/j/83523241064?pwd=yBoeEaYlmgMsp9Pc6nlaALAf9belUk.1
Meeting ID: 835 2324 1064
Passcode: 943887

Join via audio:
+1 312 626 6799 US
Webinar ID: 835 2324 1064
Passcode: 943887

08/07/2026

A nurse gerontologist and professor at KU School of Nursing, Kristi Williams, Ph.D., FAAN, is an international-award winning researcher whose research on “elderspeak,” a form of communication similar to baby talk used by many nurses and other providers to address older adults, has changed the world.

Dr. Williams’ work demonstrated how an infantilizing communication style negatively affects patient outcomes and behavior. Through her training program, staff at nursing homes and other healthcare settings can learn how to use person-centered communication instead.

Learn more about Dr. Williams and how she is challenging society to think differently about aging and dementia in the latest edition of the KU Nursing Magazine: https://bit.ly/4fAmQeK

07/29/2026

Coming from the ‘Paris on the Prairie’ to attend nursing school in a small city on the Kansas plains, three Chicago natives forged a friendship in their first year at KU School of Nursing-Salina.

Gina DeMarco, Caleigh Ryle and Alyssa Milarski went from bonding over their hometown to being inseparable. In the recent issue of KU Nursing Magazine, the three students discuss their experience in Salina and how they're gaining valuable knowledge in not only nursing, but rural health care, too.

On the Salina campus of KU School of Nursing, there are 30 first-year nursing students.

07/27/2026

Michael Waxman, M.D., MBA, education professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, recently provided simulation training at three rural Kansas sites as part of KU School of Nursing's HRSA ANEW grant program, led by Colleen Paramesh, DNP, NP-C, director of advanced programs at KU School of Nursing.

Site training courses under the ANEW grant provide several advantages to rural healthcare teams, such as improved preceptor effectiveness and efficiency, enhanced workforce recruitment and retention, sustainable academic-practice partnerships and much more.

Learn more about how the simulation training is positively impacting our community partners:

Kansas healthcare teams advance community health goals in rural and underserved communities

07/21/2026