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Perseverance — through support and lessons learned from mentors, faculty, families, and friends — was the overarching theme May 14 as the 2024 class of University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) students celebrated their graduation. “Graduates, I’d like you to please remain standing. While you most assuredly deserve the awards we bestow upon you today, you must also acknowledge that you did not reach this moment alone,” Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD '11, MS '05, BSN '04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, said during her welcome. “Throughout this journey, you relied on the support, encouragement, and sacrifices of your family, friends, and classmates who gave you the confidence to persevere, especially when you were sleep deprived, juggling many responsibilities, and didn’t think you would make it.” This year’s ceremony — which was split into two events — resulted in nearly 250 new nurses entering the workforce and a total of 479 graduates. The day began with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Ceremony and was followed by the Master’s and Doctoral Ceremony. During the ceremonies, 225 BSN degrees, 96 master’s degrees (including entry-into-nursing CNL), 152 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, three Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and three certificates were conferred. Read More

Data shows just how necessary it is to ensure students who are working toward degrees in health and human services fields are educated to care for populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities  — who often face barriers when it comes to receiving treatment. A study from 2021 found only 40.7% of physicians were very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with disabilities as they do to patients without. And just 56.5% strongly agreed that they welcomed patients with disabilities into their practices. The University of Maryland Schools of Medicine and Nursing Standardized Patient Program — housed in the University of Maryland School of Nursing — in partnership with Special Olympics Maryland (SOM) and Special Olympics International (SOI) is working to ensure the next generation of health care professionals is well prepared to work with and treat individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is one of five universities in the country across four states to recently partner with the Special Olympics. The Standardized Patient Program allows students to refine their clinical and communication skills with professional standardized participants (SPs). SPs are trained to portray a real patient in clinical instruction and assessment with students. “Not only is this initiative expanding UMB’s inclusive and interprofessional curriculum, but it’s also breaking down barriers, biases, stigmas, and misconceptions, all while encouraging a shared commitment to inclusive health care,” said Rebecca Weston, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and principal investigator on the grant that funded the collaboration. “This partnership has enabled us to envision a future where people with intellectual disabilities consistently receive equitable and accessible health care.” Read More  

Listening. That’s how Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), has spent her first year in the role. Whether it has been listening to students, staff, faculty, or alumni — in Baltimore and at the Universities at Shady Grove — Ogbolu has spent the last 10 months engrossed in what she’s dubbed “thought-provoking conversations.” But even a year later, one conversation still sticks out to her. “I vividly remember one unforgettable conversation. It was a student who came to my candidate interview,” Ogbolu said in her first State of the School Address, which was held April 23, 2024. “He gave me a glimpse of what it means to be a student here in the School of Nursing. “He and his peers arrived very early in the morning. They had to get here about 8 o’clock in the morning to have an opportunity to be here for the interview. And he was well prepared,” she said, adding that the student came in with a long list of questions as well as potential solutions he had for how the school can better support students. “This early conversation really helped to prepare me for what was coming and left me with a sense of hope and optimism for the future.” Read More View a Gallery