From providing tests and contact tracing, to administering patient care and leading interdisciplinary teams, nurses and midwives have been essential to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic response. Profiles of five School of Nursing alumni Illustrate their unique roles, challenges, and how Badger nurses change lives.
Alumni News & Events
A Pin with a Promise
Before she passed away, School of Nursing alumna Nancy Seegers Schaper donated her nursing pin back to the School with instructions to pass it on to a deserving nurse who both emulated the Wisconsin Idea and had an infectious passion for nursing. Laura Block, a 2020 graduate, received Schaper’s pin this past May.
Badger Nurses on the Front Lines of COVID-19
News from Badger nurses, first responders during the pandemic.
An Investment in Mental Health Research
Barbara Abrams ’69 generously established the Barbara Leadholm Abrams Community Mental Health Research Fund at the School of Nursing.
Five Honored as 2020 NAO Pin Recipients for Leadership, Service, and Achievement
The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing honored five graduates with nursing pins presented by the Nurses Alumni Organization (NAO) on May 6.
2019 NAO Award Winners
The UW Nurses Alumni Organization (NAO) salutes alumni each year who have made significant contributions to the nursing profession. The most recent winners—Nancy Kaufman ’71, who received the Distinguished Achievement Award, and Jessica Kendall ‘14, who received the Outstanding Badger Nursing Award—both give their time and talent to the School and are members of NAO and the Badger Nurse Network.
Porter Scholarship Plants Legacy for Future Nurses
A Rhinelander, Wisconsin, native and proud School of Nursing alumna, Judy Porter wanted to provide the same educational opportunities that she had to future Badger nurses from northern Wisconsin. Her husband honored her last wish by establishing the Judy Porter Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Unleashing the Force of Transitional and Home Care
Dwayne Dobschuetz, APRN, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner at Northwestern Medicine and University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing alumnus, started checking in on older patients, as he rode his bicycle home from work. The experience inspired him to go back to school at age 65 to become an advanced practice nurse, and led to his current home care role.
Catalyst for Change
“I’ve been called a catalyst before and I believe that I am one. Challenge the status quo in constructive ways so you can achieve results in the system,” says Rachel Azanleko-Akouete, a recent graduate of the master’s in public health program at UW–Madison and BSN alumna. “We really need to inspire that next generation of researchers and public health nurses.”
Family, Faith, Fellowship, and Fitness
For Uchenna Jones ’02, ’09, it’s all about family. As a labor and delivery nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, she helps start new families. And as the organizer of both the Madison Gospel 5K and the W1N Crew walking group and the co-founder of the Sole Sistas Run Madtown running group, she helps keep those families healthy.