School Notes: School of Nursing
May/June 2018

Scholarship will encourage PhD diversity

A gift to the school from Yale College alumnus James (Jim) Leitner ’75 will establish a scholarship to support a PhD student from an international or underrepresented background. A member of the School of Nursing’s Dean’s Leadership Council, Leitner is an avid supporter of global health and an enthusiast for the school’s ongoing work to advance a diverse student and faculty population. The fellowship will cover the expense of a student’s three-year PhD experience. Yale Nursing’s three-year PhD model is one of a few nationwide that are heeding the National Academy of Medicine call to produce more nursing PhD graduates, more quickly, to improve health care in the United States.

Simulation Lab renovation kicks off

In February, the Yale School of Nursing community came together to celebrate the beginning of demolition for its expansion of the school’s Simulation Lab and classroom space. The current space of approximately 5,300 square feet—comprising computerized hi- and lo-fidelity manikins, task trainer lab space, and hospital and clinical equipment for acute and ambulatory care—will nearly double as a result of this project, which will culminate in a planned opening in August.

Studies reveal the impact of midwifery

Two recently published studies highlight the impact of midwifery on beneficial health outcomes, with data that may have future implications for policy. Holly Powell Kennedy, Helen Varney Professor of Midwifery, coauthored both papers, and worked in collaboration with two multidisciplinary research teams to achieve the results. The studies suggest that the capacity to practice full-scope midwifery, and integration of midwifery practice at the state level, are associated with significantly higher rates of vaginal delivery and breastfeeding and significantly lower rates of cesareans, preterm birth, low birthweight, and neonatal death. These health outcome improvements could have the greatest effect in states with poor birth outcomes and where midwifery practice is the most restricted or inaccessible.