UR Nursing Recognized by AACN as Leader in Educational Innovation

Award recognizes University of Rochester’s efforts to re-envision traditional models for nursing education and lead programmatic change.

The University of Rochester School of Nursing was named a recipient of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) 2023 Innovations in Professional Nursing Education award. The award was presented during AACN’s Academic Nurse Leadership conference in October to recognize pioneering initiatives launched by AACN member institutions.

“I am proud that our work to transform nursing education has been recognized by the AACN,” said Dean Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN. “Our competency-based, collaborative approach allows us to successfully prepare future nurses to deliver exceptional patient care safely and skillfully. Health care has become increasingly complex, and preparing nurses with strong clinical judgement is foundational to the success of new graduates and to the health system.”

The University of Rochester School of Nursing received the award in the academic health center category. As one of a only a small number of schools fully integrated with an academic health center, it partners closely with the University of Rochester Medical Center across patient care delivery, education, and research.

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic it was evident that nursing academia was overdue for a transformation,” said Lydia Rotondo, DNP, RN, CNS, FNAP, associate dean for education and student affairs, in a recent case study on integrating technology in the classroom.

“Clearly, sage-on-the-stage, auditorium-style faculty lectures were no longer enough. By implementing technology, we can provide real-life clinical scenarios in the classroom and better prepare practice-ready nurses as knowledge workers in the digital age.”

In 2022, the School of Nursing marked a new era with the introduction of a cutting-edge 22,000-square-foot learning facility equipped with advanced simulation, virtual reality, augmented reality, and experiential learning spaces.

Additionally, the School received endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, and it stands as one of the pioneering nursing schools recognized as an Apple Distinguished School, exemplifying its innovative approach to preparing future nurses in a digital learning environment.

Recently, the School of Nursing was featured by Wolters Kluwer in a case study on how the School leveraged its nursing education solutions and services such has Lippincott®, NurseTim®, and NurseThink®. 

Download Case Study: Embracing technology to revolutionize nursing education