Street view of school.

2020 Columbia Nursing Stories

As the end of the year approaches, we reflect on the Columbia Nursing headlines that captured our community’s attention. This selection of top stories from our Monthly Pulse newsletter had the farthest reach, but they also encapsulated a year unlike any other—where coronavirus surged, nurses headed to the front lines, and systemic racism was denounced on all fronts. Take a look at some of our headlines through 2020. 

Columbia Nursing Launches New Website

Published January 2020

Students walking and speaking.

Columbia Nursing’s website was completely redesigned to align with who the school is today, and to reflect it’s mission and innovation across many areas, from academics, to global health, patient care, research, student affairs, alumni relations, and more. 

Columbia Nursing Heads to Capitol Hill

Published February 2020

Nurses holding signs.

In celebration of Black History Month, faculty and students represented the school at the 32nd annual National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on February 7. Over 300 nurses and nursing students attended the annual event to discuss various topics related to health disparities and issues affecting the black community with politicians. 

Nurses Week: A Message from Dean Frazier

Published May 2020

The dean sitting on couch.

Columbia University School of Nursing Dean Lorraine Frazier shares a message for nurses during Nurses Week 2020. 

What Does It Mean to Be a Nurse?

Published May 2020

Three head shots.

Columbia Nursing faculty, students, and providers shared why they chose the profession of nursing and what it means to be a nurse during this pandemic. 

Ambitions, Hopes and Dreams: Columbia Nursing 2020 Graduates Prepare for the Future

Published May 2020

Graduate head shots.

Columbia Nursing celebrated all graduates conferring their degrees this year! Six graduates from diverse backgrounds and programs spoke about the need for nurses in the wake of COVID-19, and how their Columbia education has prepared them to meet this need. 

The Many Faces of Bravery

Published May 2020

Photo collage of nurses.

Nurses on the front lines of the pandemic shared their stories through their own words and pictures in recognition of National Nurses Week 2020. 

A Nurse Practitioner Witnesses the Impact of Coronavirus on People of Color

Published June 2020

Nurse using telehealth.

Rakiyah Jones, an assistant professor at the School of Nursing and a family nurse practitioner, recalled his recent experiences at the fever and cough clinic in the ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group and how he has seen the coronavirus devastate communities of color. 

CUIMC Community Joins Together to Address Systemic Racism

Published June 2020

Nurses kneeling with signs.

Members of the CUIMC community joined with colleagues at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine to observe 9 minutes of silence in a symbol of unity against racism and a shared commitment to making Black lives matter. 

Columbia Nursing Honors Indigenous Peoples Day

Published October 2020

Landscape view of river.

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day today, Columbia Nursing issued a land acknowledgment statement honoring the Lenape people and their ancestral lands, which includes the site where the school sits today. 

Columbia University School of Nursing Launches Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC)

Published October 2020

Nurse talking to patient.

Columbia University School of Nursing announced the establishment of the Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC) to help meet the growing demand for health equity and justice in our society. 

AACN Recognizes Columbia Nursing and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Partnership with 2020 AACN New Era for Academic Nursing Award 

Published October 2020

People crossing street.

The award, which was presented at the AACN Academic Nursing Leadership Conference, recognized the academic-practice collaborations between both institutions through our Linking to Improve Nursing Knowledge program 

Preceptor of the Year Award Recipients

Published November 2020

Six head shots.

The award recognized preceptors who serve as educators and mentors for our nurse practitioner students.