School of Nursing celebrates fall Dedication to the Profession

On Friday, Aug. 21, Jean Foret Giddens, Ph.D., FAAN, dean of the University of Kansas School of Nursing, welcomed new nursing students during the Dedication to the Profession ceremony on the KU Medical Center campus. After donning their official KU School of Nursing jackets, the students recited the same professional oath taken by other nursing students across the country. “Today you are more than students,” Giddens said. “You also are colleagues.”

Faculty and nursing school alumni were on hand to celebrate the students entering their chosen profession. Of the 190 incoming Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, 120 will study on the Kansas City campus and 25 will earn their degrees on the Salina campus, while an additional 45 students are starting the Community College Nursing Program and part-time RN-to-BSN program. A similar ceremony took place on the Salina campus Friday.

Nearly 300 people joined the Zoom livestream, including family and friends from across the country.

"It's always exciting to welcome new students to the nursing profession and KU School of Nursing,” Giddens said. “During the next two years we will prepare new nurses to strengthen the health of Kansas communities and beyond. I'm equally excited for the students to get to know our alumni (award) winners. Nursing is truly a profession of possibilities, and they exemplify the best of our profession."

During the program, the dean presented three awards to alumni of the school. The Distinguished Alumni Award winner was Barbara Geiger, BSN, who Giddens said has had an impressive career as a consultant to biotech and biopharma companies, helping to guide them through the process of developing clinical trials designed to discover lifesaving compounds and therapies.

The Early- to Mid-Career Achievement Alumni Award winner was Jenna Newkirk, a 2024 BSN graduate. She currently works in a busy orthopedic medical/surgical unit at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. In her role as a Car Seat Superuser, she ensures that patients return home safely, regardless of their physical limitations that may not fit the typical car seat.

An Honorary Alumni Award went to Barbara Demarest, who earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wake Forest University and works as an independent consultant, coach and facilitator. She recently consulted on the development of a new mission for KU School of Nursing and mentorship for key leaders within the school and helped to create a vision and strategic framework for future planning.

A new student, Jadyn Ellsworth from Chanute, Kansas, was excited and honored to be part of the celebration. Ellsworth, who said she always knew she wanted to attend nursing school at KU, has been working as a nurse assistant in a bone marrow transplant and acute leukemia unit. She is already feeling at home in the Kansas City area. “I chose to attend KU because my sister went here, and we have some family around, too,” she said.

The event included a panel discussion with the award winners and remarks from Giddens and Gail Scheutz, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer for Olathe and Paola hospitals and affiliated care locations at The University of Kansas Health System.

Scheutz assured the new students that someday, they too would experience extraordinary moments during their careers. She shared an experience she had as a young nurse in a neonatal unit. “For three shifts, I cared for a baby who was born in an unsurvivable condition,” Scheutz said. “I was privileged to help the family make those the best days possible.” Later, she received a note from the family thanking her for being their baby’s first and only best friend.

The event ended with all students and nurses in attendance standing to recite the dedication oath, pledging to incorporate respect and compassion into their work, committing to lifelong learning and accepting their roles as leaders.