FORWARD INTO THE HEART OF NURSING

'Forward Into the Heart of Nursing' Signe Skott Cooper Hall, 701 Highland Ave. Madison, WI

The UW-Madison School of Nursing is a remarkable beacon of light for intellect and heart, science and caring.

'Forward Into the Heart of Nursing' was created in collaboration with over 150 faculty, staff and students as part of celebrating their 100-year anniversary. The dean of the nursing school, Linda Scott, reached out to me to commemorate their centennial history and a vision of where they are going.

Trying to capture such a long legacy presented a challenge and a unique opportunity. I felt that there was much info to gather about what makes the school legacy unique or special to its community; while searching for what lies at the heart of it. At its heart or its spirit, it stays the same despite having gone through many transformations over time.

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I felt honoring both the legacy and the heart would be a beautiful symbol that could move the spirit of those who look at it.

Through visioning sessions with faculty, students and staff; and research into the school's nursing museum and archives, I gathered ideas from participants and molded them into this vision.

Bringing the Vision to Life

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Several community painting sessions brought in members of the college's School of Nursing, friends and alum who helped paint the base colors of paint. In total, there were over 135 people who participated in this collaborative art effort.

I also learned that at its core, the principal of caring in the field of nursing plays a much more powerful, long-reaching and pivotal role beginning in academia than I realized.

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing community are dynamic leaders, go-getters, policy-makers and advocates; and work in much broader arenas of society beyond the clinical setting than people may imagine nurses can do. I learned about important research being done by alumni of color; different reasons that draw people into nursing or teaching.

The school of nursing's history is marked by many historical achievements, including advancement in technology, making technological and social choices that were ahead of its time, leading and setting an example in teaching, research, and service to different communities. It is world-renowned, reaches out into the Wisconsin community, makes partnerships regionally and state-wide, and has a renowned global reputation. It's culture is dynamic, always pushing forward. It has a strong sense of school pride! Alums come back to teach, lead, and help the younger generation. It has generational legacy that carries it forward into the future.

Links to project documentation pages

Creating the Centennial mural: https://nursing.wisc.edu/creating-the-centennial-mural/

UW-Madison Centennial mural page: https://nursing.wisc.edu/bncl/centennial-mural/#photos

Official centennial launch article: https://nursing.wisc.edu/uw-madison-school-of-nursing-officially-kicks-off-centennial-celebration/

Centennial launch youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgJzl_opl3k&t=9s

WORT 89.9 Radio Interview: Interview with Tia and Meredith Temple, Dean’s Office-External Relations Special Projects