Dean’s Corner February 2022
Dean’s Message: February 2022
In celebration of Black History Month, I invite all Bloomberg Nursing students, faculty and staff to take part in the two upcoming sessions hosted by our undergraduate and graduate nursing societies around Black Leadership and Health Equity. Our students have invited prominent Black nursing leaders to share their experiences of navigating their roles and promoting health equity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These two sessions, taking place February 16 and February 23, are an opportunity to broaden our understanding and educate ourselves on the ways in which the Canadian Black community have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
This month I am also pleased to share a story of admirable dedication and resilience from our students in the establishment of the GNSS Black and Indigenous Award for Master’s of Nursing students. For those who do not know, the GNSS crafted an Anti-Racism Commitment Statement in June 2020 in response to ongoing systemic racism and its impact on Black and Indigenous communities. Out of their calls to action came the idea for this award, and they have worked tremendously hard to see it reach its culmination and be of benefit to students entering the MN program in 2022.
Additionally, I am delighted to share Bloomberg Nursing’s new video tour of our renovated Simulation Lab featuring simulated community health spaces that will play a significant role in helping students navigate caring for people in the community and in their own homes.
Many of our teaching stream faculty are excited about this initiative and the increased capacity it provides for our students to learn about the complexities of delivering care beyond the walls of acute care settings. I invite you watch our video and read our story about the many ways these changes will enhance nursing education for Bloomberg Nursing students.
At the end of February we will begin a return to in-person learning guided by the University’s commitment and adherence to public health guidance including masking, vaccines and ventilation. For more details about what this return means for students, staff and faculty, I invite you visit our COVID-19 Information page for the latest updates.
I look forward to seeing you in-person over the coming months as we continue to navigate this stage of the pandemic as safely as possible.
Sincerely,
Linda Johnston, PhD FEANS FCAHS FAAN
Dean, Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
University of Toronto