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Sarah Szanton

Dean, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Sarah L. Szanton is a prominent figure in the field of nursing, particularly known for her work in geriatric nursing, health equity, and social justice. Here are some key points about her:

Position and Affiliations

  • Dr. Szanton is the fifth dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and holds the Patricia M. Davidson Professor for Health Equity and Social Justice position.134
  • She has a joint appointment in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.1

Research and Innovations

  • Dr. Szanton is the co-developer of the CAPABLE program, a person-directed, home-based initiative that integrates services from an occupational therapist, a registered nurse, and a handy worker to help older adults maintain health, independence, and safety. The program is active in 23 states.125
  • Her research focuses on improving health equity, aging in community, the impact of financial strain on health, and the measurement of structural racism and resilience across the life course. She has published over 200 papers and been the Principal Investigator on more than $20 million in grants from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.1

Leadership and Advocacy

  • Under her leadership, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing has been ranked No. 1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report for its master’s and doctor of nursing practice programs and No. 3 globally by QS World University.1
  • Dr. Szanton launched the Policy Honors Program to help students develop advocacy skills in influencing health policies and is chartering the creation of an innovative policy institute to advance health policy leadership and research for global nurse leaders and scientists.1
  • She is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, having helped shape the Pathway to PhD Nursing Scholars Program to accelerate diversity among PhD-prepared nurses and established the Term Professorship for Rising Faculty to fund distinguished faculty in their research and leadership.1

Awards and Recognition

  • Dr. Szanton has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine and named a Woman of Achievement by Business and Professional Women of Maryland. She is also a Heinz Award winner for the Human Condition and recognized by PBS as one of the “Next Avenue Influencers in Aging”.1

Early Career

  • Early in her career, Dr. Szanton provided house calls to homebound elderly patients with low incomes in West Baltimore, which influenced her later work on addressing environmental and health challenges faced by older adults.1

Overall, Dr. Szanton is a highly respected leader in nursing education, research, and policy, with a strong commitment to health equity and social justice.

Highlights

Aug 1 · linkedin

I am alarmed by the fearmongering in the July 24th Bloomberg News article, “The Miseducation of America’s Nurse Practitioners," from authors Caleb Melby, Polly Mosendz, and Noah Buhayar.

It is important to expose weaknesses and flaws in our health systems and workforce. This article sheds light on a concerning trend in #forprofit nursing programs but it is not representative of the entire nursing education pipeline. It risks tarnishing the evidence-based value of #AdvancedPractice nurses and making people afraid to get care from well qualified #NursePractitioners. This is particularly dangerous at a time when our health systems are focused on cutting costs and increasing profit at the expense of the workforce and patients.     When exposing flaws in the education and training of our workforce, it is also important to examine the complex factors that for-profit educational institutions are exploiting. These institutions are taking advantage of a health care workforce shortage while more health systems and hospitals are funded through private equity where the main goal is to increase profits.     The authors rightfully acknowledge that there is significant evidence demonstrating the value, quality and benefits of care provided by NPs. However, the article fails to highlight solutions and other models of excellence in nurse practitioner education.

For example, the Doctor of Nursing Advance Practice (#DNP-AP) programs at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing effectively prepare nurse practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their role. Nurse practitioner students complete approximately 1,000 practice hours throughout their program. Direct patient care clinical experiences are carefully matched based on the students’ program track and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, that outline the curriculum content and expected competencies for nurse practitioner graduates. In addition, #simulation-based educational training is an integral part of the NP curriculum. Clinical training is unpredictable, and foreseeing what patient care opportunities the learner will encounter in the clinical environment is impossible. To prepare a practice-ready workforce, the use of simulation-based education, in addition to the didactic and clinical training is a fundamental part of the NP curriculum.

It is important to note that Nurse Practitioners are not intended to replace doctors but to expand our health care workforce and optimize the ability for all clinicians to practice to the full extent of their education and training. In so doing, we can ensure that we all get the right care at the right time. Imbalanced reporting that covers one negative aspect of any health care workforce not just harms the health professions but all of us seeking care in an increasingly challenging health care environment.

#NursingWorkforce #Nurses #NursePractitioner

Related Questions

What are some of Sarah L. Szanton's most notable achievements as the Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing?
How did Sarah L. Szanton's early career influence her current leadership style?
What is the CAPABLE program that Sarah L. Szanton co-developed?
How has Sarah L. Szanton contributed to health equity and social justice?
What are the main goals of the Policy Honors Program launched by Sarah L. Szanton?
Sarah Szanton
Sarah Szanton, photo 1
Sarah Szanton, photo 2
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Location

Baltimore City County, Maryland, United States