Department of Nursing
Message from Department Chair
I was not an individual who grew up wanting to be a nurse. In fact, because my mother was a nurse it was the last thing I thought I wanted to be. It wasn’t until I was halfway through college that I realized that nursing allowed me to integrate my love of science with my love of people and provided me with an opportunity to live out my faith through my work.
Becoming a nurse has been one of the better decisions I’ve ever made. It’s been a wonderful profession for me and that’s why I’m so pleased to be able to take part in the preparation of students for careers in nursing. At Bethel we have programs for nurses at various stages of their careers, a traditional baccalaureate program, a RN degree completion program, an accelerated baccalaureate to master’s degree program, and a master’s program.
The faculty members who teach in these programs are experienced nurse educators. Their practice includes all of the specialty areas of nursing and they have practiced their profession not only throughout the United States but also internationally. Before coming to Bethel, faculty members have served as nurses in South Korea, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.
The academic backgrounds of the nursing faculty have prepared them well as nurse educators. Most of the full-time faculty members have doctoral degrees. Two faculty members have been selected as recipients of Fulbright awards, others have published a book or contributed to published books; they regularly provide articles to professional journals; and they present at professional conferences not only at the state-level but also nationally and internationally.
These are only a sample of faculty members’ accomplishments. But what this group of men and women claim as their most valued accomplishment is the relationships they have established with students and the opportunity to introduce students to nursing and to help them see how their faith as Christians can grow through nursing and be used in nursing as a ministry.
Sandra
J. Peterson, PhD, RN
Chair of the Nursing Department
Bethel University