The nursing professorship, which is expected to be on faculty by spring of 2008, will conduct patient-focused research on the science and best practices of nursing, an area that has not received much attention to date.

"As we look to the future, we are excited about this partnership and how it will ensure that Crittenton remains a center for nursing excellence,” said Lynn Orfgen, president and CEO, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center. “This endowment will help change the education of nurses, providing a platform for bringing the highest level of care to patients."

Students in the new program will conduct all of their clinical rotations at Crittenton Hospital Medical Center. This arrangement enables the students to become familiar with the hospital’s patient care delivery and allows the hospital to help students plan their nursing career paths. The program provides both the students and the hospital an opportunity to work together to determine if there is a fit for the nursing students with the hospital after graduation.

In researching and implementing the most effective and efficient practices of patient care, the goal of the program is to create a more patient-centered nursing approach. Crittenton is especially interested in the opportunity to have more BSN-trained nurses working with their staff in the hospital. 

“One aspect of this is to study how nurses can successfully create relationships with patient and families.  Patients and their families must have confidence and trust in their nurses, so that nurses can help them overcome any potential impediments to their recovery,” said Kathleen Van Wagoner, chief nursing officer, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center.

“Research is showing that the higher the level of education the nurse has, the more quickly they are able to assimilate into their clinical practices,” said Van Wagoner.

Critical thinking skills from university courses also help nurses as they work with both colleagues and patients. “When we partner with Oakland University, and their students come here, some of our staff are their preceptors. They’re bringing their knowledge as students, and our nurses can in turn get new ideas from them,” explained Van Wagoner.

“The Crittenton Endowed Professorship is an exciting partnership opportunity for Oakland University and Crittenton Hospital to help advance nursing as a profession and to provide our students with invaluable opportunities,” said Linda Thompson Adams, dean, Oakland University School of Nursing.

In addition to promoting nursing excellence, the professorship also helps address the widely publicized nursing shortage. According to the Michigan Nurses Association, Michigan alone is expected to have a shortage of approximately 8,000 nurses by 2010. Students have responded to this news by applying to nursing programs at near-record rates. At nursing schools across the country, there are more qualified applicants to nursing programs than there are faculty to support them, forcing many schools to delay admittance for accepted students.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with Crittenton Hospital Medical Center. The Crittenton Endowed Professorship is another example of Crittenton’s commitment to the community, one that will provide an unparalleled learning experience for our nursing students,” said OU President Gary Russi.

"On behalf of the Crittenton Foundation, we are pleased to help establish this new program that will train nursing students for a rewarding profession in patient care," said Anthony Nehra, M.D., chairman, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Foundation.