Meet Valerie Howard, nursing dean

Valerie Howard, whose simulation scholarship has enhanced nursing education across the globe, is heavily involved in transforming nursing’s future.

As the leader of the North Carolina Future of Nursing Action Coalition, she’s helping improve health equity across the state. She is confronting a troubling nursing shortage as a member of the steering committee for the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce. As a fellow in several national organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing, and as past president of the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning, she is shaping nursing at home and abroad.

Prior to joining Carolina in August 2022, Howard was vice dean for academic affairs and a clinical professor in Duke University’s School of Nursing. There, she led four academic degree programs and 20 specialty and certificate programs and launched initiatives supporting innovation and faculty development in teaching.

What is something you have learned about the University since you arrived?

Since my arrival at Carolina, I’ve been struck by how the campus community truly embodies the University’s mission.

The commitment of our faculty, staff and students to serving the public good through teaching, research and public service has been inspiring to witness, and the willingness of the community to come together and tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges is remarkable. I’m honored to be a part of a community so invested in making a positive impact on the world, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a Tar Heel!

How is your school fulfilling Carolina’s mission of teaching, research and public service?

As dean of the UNC School of Nursing, my job is to ensure that we’re fulfilling that mission through everything we do. Carolina has a longstanding commitment to serving the public good. This is reflected in our new strategic plan — which we’ll be sharing later this year — and mission of advancing health for all.

We’re committed to providing our students with the highest quality education possible. As a top-ranked school of nursing, we take our responsibility of preparing the next generation of nurses, leaders, scholars and educators very seriously. We use innovative teaching approaches to equip our students with the skills and expertise they need to make a positive impact on the lives of their patients and the communities they serve.

Our EmpowerEd iPad Initiative provides students with access to technology that improves their learning experience. The Education Innovation Simulation Learning Environment offers hands-on simulation experiences to help students develop their clinical skills and prepare for real-life situations. We’re also proud of our partnership with the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice, which prepares students to be a part of a diverse and caring workforce ready to work together for a healthier population.

But it’s not just about teaching — Carolina Nursing is also home to a vibrant community of nurse scholars who are engaged in cutting-edge research that addresses some of the most pressing health care challenges facing our state and nation. Our research focuses on areas such as chronic disease management, health equity, mental health and workforce resilience. For instance, Jada Brooks is finding ways to prevent premature death in American Indian women due to heart disease, Cheryl Jones has advised the UNC Sheps Center on the NCNursecast model that forecasts the supply and demand of nurses in the state and Mark Toles is improving the lives of seriously ill older adults and reducing the burdens on caregivers with his Connect Home toolkit.

Practice and service are at the very core of nursing. Carolina Nursing has a long history of engaging with local and global communities to improve health and well-being. The Carolina Nursing Mobile Health Clinic provides essential health services to underserved communities. Our PAHO-WHO Collaborating Center in Quality and Safety Education in Nursing and Midwifery is developing online programs to strengthen nursing and midwifery education in the Americas. And our nursing students volunteered with the Carolina COVID-19 Student Service Corps to keep the Carolina community healthy and safe during the height of the pandemic.

What’s one example of how you are addressing a current top priority for your school?

Every life needs a nurse, and we do not have enough of them. By 2033, North Carolina is expected to face a shortage of nearly 12,500 registered nurses, which will challenge the ability of our health care systems to provide the proactive and personalized care that every patient deserves. To tackle this challenge, we’re committed to finding innovative, sustainable and long-term solutions that will ensure we have a strong pipeline of nurses who are prepared to meet the growing demand for health care. Our initiatives include:

• Collaborating with health care organizations, academic leaders, health care experts, and policy makers across the state on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on the Future of the Nursing Workforce.
• Constructing a new Nursing Education Building that will feature the latest technologies and expanded classroom, simulation and public spaces.
• Increasing enrollment and creating new pathways for students to enter nursing programs.
• Making our programs more accessible and affordable.
• Revising continuing education courses to help nurses stay up to date with the latest advances in nursing practice.

What do you want others across Carolina to know about nursing?

Nursing has been consistently ranked as the most trusted profession by the public for over two decades. This trust reflects the high level of professionalism, integrity and ethical standards that nurses uphold. We are often the first point of contact for patients, providing essential care and comfort during their most vulnerable moments. Patients trust nurses to provide compassionate and high-quality care, and nurses work tirelessly to earn and maintain this trust.

Our profession is both a science and an art — nurses are held in high regard not only for their deep understanding of scientific knowledge and best practices but also for their empathy, advocacy and commitment to the well-being of patients and communities. As a result, nurses play a critical role in improving health care outcomes and are essential to the delivery of safe and effective care.