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School of Nursing

Human Health Building, Room 3027
433 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-4253
nrsinfo@oakland.edu
M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. closed daily 12 p.m.-1 p.m.

School of Nursing

Human Health Building, Room 3027
433 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-4253
nrsinfo@oakland.edu
M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. closed daily 12 p.m.-1 p.m.

exterior of a brick and glass building with green trees around it

About the School of Nursing

Thank you for your interest in Oakland’s School of Nursing. The School of Nursing prides itself on providing a high-quality education that will provide the best clinical experiences, job opportunities in the area’s best healthcare systems and access to faculty members who are leaders within the nursing profession. The School of Nursing also provides resources that may be available to assist with tuition expenses.

Dean's Welcome
Professional headshot for Judy DidionWelcome from Dean Judy Didion, PhD, RN

Thank you for visiting the School of Nursing website and for considering Oakland's nursing programs.

As a new dean here at Oakland University School of Nursing, I am continually discovering that Oakland University and the School of Nursing have so much to offer!

I am truly impressed by the high-quality programs the School
of Nursing offers in a diverse and inclusive environment. The University’s commitment to engaging with its community provides unique real-world learning experiences that give our students the opportunity to shape the fields they will work in and be a part of the conversation about how we can improve healthcare at all levels.

Whether you are interested in becoming a nurse or are already a nurse and want to advance your nursing career by earning your BSN or a graduate degree, our School of Nursing offers programs that will help you to meet your career goals. Our students have access to programs with dynamic instructors, rigorous curricula and clinical practice opportunities with the Detroit metro area's top hospitals and facilities.

Our students are prepared to provide optimal care delivery within the complex and ever-changing healthcare industry as faculty delicately blend the art and science of nursing through Relationship Based Care tenets. As an OU nursing graduate, you will be recognized as a transformational leader, caring practitioner and scholar who optimizes the health and well-being of a diverse global society.

The Institute of Medicine's 2010 report, The Future of Nursing: Focus on Education, closely tied nursing practice and education with the future of healthcare reform. The educational emphasis on leadership, theory, technology and practice prepares our graduates to perform in a variety of venues from health care agencies to lobbying on Capitol Hill. We emphasize the importance of being a community engaged healthcare practitioner and embracing the qualities of leadership. Many of our graduates are now presidents of hospitals, chief operating officers of health care systems, chief nurse executives and directors of complex health care programs. Our graduates are not afraid to take risks; and we can proudly say many are entrepreneurs and activists moving to change health care for the better.

I look forward to working with our students, campus community, and those working in the health care field to advance the science and art of nursing in the months and years to come. I am proud to call myself a Grizzly.
Board of Visitors

The Board of Visitors is an advisory body to the Oakland University School of Nursing. The specific purposes of the Board of Visitors are to provide counsel to the School of Nursing regarding its objectives, strategies, goals, curriculum and concerns; to promote the school in the community by creating awareness of its existence, supporting recruiting efforts and understanding of the services it renders; and to provide assistance in obtaining financial support from outside sources.

Maggie Allesee, MS is a Board Founder and served as past President as well as Chair of the Nightingale Awards. She was named the 2000 Philanthropist of the Year and received three honorary doctorate degrees from Wayne State University, Kendall College / Ferris State University and Oakland University

Maureen Bowman, MA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC is VP & CNO of Beaumont Health System-Royal Oak.  She is board certified as a Nurse Executive-Advanced, and is a member of the Beaumont Health System Board of Directors, the Michigan Organization of Nurse Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Doug Dascenzo, MSN, RN is Chief Nursing Officer at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland.

Dr. Shukri David is Chief of Cardiology at St. John Providence Health System. 

Judy Didion, PhD, RN, is Dean of the Oakland University School of Nursing.

Tamika Frimpong, Legal Director/HR, Nexteer Automotive

Debra Guido-Allen, R.N., BSN,  Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Nursing Support Services at Beaumont Hospital, Troy. Debbie began her Beaumont career as a general surgical nurse at the Royal Oak hospital. She later served as assistant nurse manager in Cardiac Care, and then manager of Cardiovascular Research and the Anticoagulation Management Service. Debbie has a bachelor of science in Nursing from Oakland University and an MBA in Health Care Administration from American InterContinental University.

Adreena Harley, MSN, RN, serves on the Nightingale Selection Committee.

Karen Harris, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC is Chief Nursing and Operations Executive at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.  She has served as a consultant for ACG and Dynamics Research Corporation.  Karen was the 2006 Nightingale Award Winner for Education & Research.

Gregory Jamian is President and CEO of Americare Medical, Inc. He is a current Commissioner for the Oakland County Road Commission and President of the board for the Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Association. He is also a past board member of the Area Agency on Aging 1B.

Christopher Johnston, Associate VP, New Business & Consumer Solutions, Health Alliance Plan of Michigan.

Shawn Levitt, MHSA, RN, FACHE, CPHQ, is the Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer for the Detroit Medical Center.

Denise McLean, RN, MSN, Director of Clinical Care/Respiratory Therapy; St. John Providence Health System

Kathy Ryan, MHSA, RN, is a member of the West Region Board of Trustees – St. John Providence Health System and former CNO of Providence Hospital-Southfield. She is a past winner of the Nightingale Award for Nursing Administration, and is a former Board of Visitor Chair.

Sandra Schmitt, RN, BSN, is Manager of Nursing Development for the Oakwood Healthcare System. She was the 2003 Distinguished Alumni Nightingale Award recipient and was runner up in 2011 for Excellence in Nursing Education & Research.

Michelle I. Seid, RN, BSN, became a Board of Visitor member in early 2011 and has served as the Chair for the Nightingale Awards Silent Auction and Raffle in both 2012 and 2013.  She also participates on the School of Nursing Alumni Committee.

Nancy Susick, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is Senior Vice President Beaumont Health System and President Beaumont Hospital, Troy.  She became a Board of Visitor member in 2002 and served as Board Chair in 2012 and 2013.  Nancy also participated in two School of Nursing accreditation cycles.

Christine Zambricki, CRNA, DNAP, FAAN, is the Chief Executive Officer, America's Blood Centers.  She was the 2006-2007 Nightingale Chair and 2004-2005 Nightingale Selection Committee Chair.

Mission/Vision

School of Nursing Mission
The mission of OU SON is to prepare transformational leaders committed to caring and using the best evidence in nursing practice, education and research to optimize the health of the public in a diverse ever-changing society.

School of Nursing Vision
The faculty and graduates of OU SON will be recognized as transformational leaders, caring practitioners and scholars who optimize the health and well-being of a diverse global society.

Click here for our Learn to Help Others video on the School of Nursing.

About HHB
The Human Health Building boasts of an environmentally-friendly design by virtue of its construction from renewable materials; advanced air quality and water conservation systems; and geothermal heating and cooling system, which aids in the reduction of carbon emissions and energy consumption and output.  Due to the success of these innovations, it was certified as Michigan's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum University Building in 2013.  The HHB serves as the primary residence of Oakland University's School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences, and includes five stories of lecture, seminar, and lab-style classroom spaces designed to better facilitate the academic development of its tenants. ​The Oakland University School of Nursing Simulation Lab is a state-of-the-art facility that provides a rich experiential learning opportunity for students to integrate theory with practice. Our simulation scenarios allow students to make real-time clinical decisions in an environment that poses no risk to patients. The program promotes competency, confidence, and autonomy necessary to position our students for success upon transition to practice.
Recognition

The Oakland University School of Nursing offers programs facilitated by dedicated faculty researchers, practicing clinicians and experienced nursing professionals with the latest technologies and evidence based practices.

The SON is recognized as one of the premier nursing schools in the Upper Midwest as well as by influential national publications like the US News and World Report. Because of our reputation in this region and beyond, the School of Nursing has been recognized by several national organizations.