About the School of Nursing - School of Nursing

Dean's Welcome

Welcome 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.

Robert Chiaravalli, Esq, is President of Strategic Labor & Human Resources, LLC, a consulting firm focusing on labor relations, international HR and Compensation and Benefits.

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.

Kay Douglas is President of Douglas Marketing Group, president of “Yours for the Dreaming Publishing,” as well as an author, artist and illustrator, past president and director of Executive Women International Board of Advisors Corp! magazine and past Nightingale Silent Auction Chair.

Grace Fortuna, EdD, RN, CHES, FAAOHN, is Chief Clinical Officer of Kelly Healthcare Resources. Grace is also Secretary for the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

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.

Ann McDonald-Upton, RN, MBA, Vice President Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland

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

Kathleen 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.

Kathleen Van Wagoner, RN, MSN. She was influential in advocating and establishing the Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Endowed Professorship in Nursing at Oakland University and is the current chair of the Nightingale Selection Committee.

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.

History

The Oakland University Board of Trustees established the School of Nursing (SON) in 1974, and the first students were admitted in the fall of 1975. At that time, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree was the only academic degree awarded by the SON. Graduate nursing programs began in 1984 leading to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program was established in 2006.

At the undergraduate level, the study of nursing builds upon a foundation of the arts, humanities, and sciences. The pre-licensure tracks in the undergraduate program (Basic-BSN and Accelerated Second Degree) prepare students for entry into professional nursing practice. The SON also offers a RN-BSN degree completion sequence which is taught entirely online for registered nurses who wish to earn a BSN degree. The Accelerated Second Degree (ASD) track was added to the undergraduate program in 2005 for students who currently hold a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in another academic area.

At the master’s degree level of the curriculum, students may select from a variety of advanced practice nursing specialty tracks, including nurse anesthesia, adult/gerontological nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. At the doctoral level, the SON offers a post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. The DNP is the highest degree for clinical nursing practice.

All of the Oakland University School of Nursing academic programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Nursing Alumni

We miss seeing the faces of our past nursing students, especially those students who really made a difference at Oakland University School of Nursing.

There is a group of alumni that meets either online or in person once a month to work on objectives including networking, professional development, community service and fundraising. We're hoping you'll join the Oakland University Alumni Committee! To become active as nursing alumni just contact Ashley Samson at samson@oakland.edu.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Alumni Committee, let us know ! You do not even have to have graduated yet, we are also looking for current seniors to get involved. Some of the goals of the committee include mentoring new graduates and new nursing students, networking, community service and continuing education.

Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award

The Board of Visitors School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Society recognizes and celebrates outstanding graduates of our programs who have distinguished themselves through their professional endeavors. This award is intended to celebrate the accomplishments of distinguished alumni in a manner that will acknowledge their achievements and inspire pride in our students, our faculty and fellow alumni. Any alumni who have earned BSN, MSN or DNP degrees from Oakland University School of Nursing are eligible.

Nominees should demonstrate excellence in at least one of the following areas:

Professional Achievement
Leadership (within any professional area, whether nursing or otherwise)
Community Service and Volunteerism
Research and Scholarship
Innovation, advocacy or entrepreneurship contributing to betterment of the nursing profession

Submit a Distinguished Alumni Society Nomination Form to:

School of Nursing

ATTN: Distinguished Alumni Society

2200 N. Squirrel Rd.

Suite 3001 Human Health Building

Rochester, MI 48309

Contact Colette O’Connor if you have questions at oconnor@oakland.edu .

Make a Gift

To make a gift to the School of Nursing, please visit oakland.edu/give. Under "Designation" select School or College and choose School of Nursing (38004).

To donate to the School of Nursing Continuing Education LPN, CNA & PCT programs, under "Designation", select Other and choose the code 30313-OU-SON-CE Nursing gift fund.

Another very effective way to support nursing and its contributions to scholarships, research, teaching and education is through becoming a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing.

By giving to the School of Nursing, you help the next generation of nurses. Your gift, in any amount, will make an important difference in the following areas:

Student Support

Student support in the form of tuition awards and scholarships, often make the difference as to whether our students can complete their nursing education or not. Awards may enable students to study full-time rather than part-time because of a financial need to work. They provide real incentives for the very best students to select Oakland University over another institution, and they reward academic excellence and leadership which are highly valued attributes in the nursing leaders of the future.

We invite you to consider supporting our students by endowing a tuition award which can be established with a single contribution, with a pledge over five years or with a planned gift made through your estate plan. Endowed awards may be established in a multitude of ways to benefit undergraduate and graduate students.

Criteria is established according to your wishes. Your award may recognize outstanding academic achievement, may enable a financially challenged student to continue their education, or may celebrate an outstanding individual's career or dedication to nursing.

Scholarships are established by parents in honor of children, by children to honor a parent, by grateful patients and their families and for numerous other individual, meaningful reasons.

Faculty Support

Faculty shortages in the area of nursing education make the need for faculty support more important than ever. To maintain and improve our academic standing, we must recruit faculty who are a the top of their field.

"In order to attract and retain the very best scholars to OU, we must be able to demonstrate a financial commitment to research, education and programs that these scholars expect and deserve", says Dean Linda Thompson Adams.

Support in the form of endowed chairs, professorships and research funds allow OU to compete for talented educators essential to propel our programs to an even higher level.

Program Support

Special programs enrich the academic experience of our students by providing an environment rich in learning and real world experiences. Programs afford faculty the opportunity to perform as integrated scholars as they teach, conduct research and practice nursing within a unique, authentic atmosphere. Communities are enriched and improved by the programs we deliver in the form of access to affordable health care, improved educational and job training opportunities, and solutions to long-term issues such as the shortage of nurses and nursing faculty.

We are continuously striving to implement and improve programming that is consistent with our strategic goals for the School.

For more information about how you can help support the School of Nursing through donations please contact:

Colette O'Connor
Director of Development
(248) 364-8723
oconnor@oakland.edu