Greetings!

When you last received The Nursing News in December, who imagined what 2020 would bring for all of us? Now, just eight months later, we find ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic with pervasive national impacts that profoundly affect our school and university.  

Sadly, disturbing recent loss of life has also aroused protests in the streets with renewed emphasis that Black Lives Matter and that all life is precious. These events call on all of us – as an institution and as individuals – to come to grips with the historic and pervasive racial inequities that have plagued our nation for too long.

In this edition of The Nursing News, we’ll document the extraordinary efforts by our faculty and staff – over an extremely intense two-week period – to transition our classes to virtual environments that would be safe for our students. We share stories about our alumni who are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Reaffirm our commitment to diversity among our faculty, in our student body, and in the programs we offer. Look back on the historic graduation ceremonies for our first-ever class of accelerated 2nd degree students and our traditional BSN students. And mourn the passing of a beloved first-year nursing student.

What the fall will bring is still unknown. During this historic and critical time, I will keep you posted on developments at our school through emailed updates, and in the next edition of The Nursing News. 

Until then, stay well, and stay safe. As always, thank you for being a part of our extended IUSON Bloomington family. I look forward to the day when we can all be together again.