Nursing program celebrating 50th anniversary

Like clockwork for 20 years now, past faculty members of the Alfred State Nursing Department have returned to the Southern Tier in the fall for a reunion. This year, they had even more reason to celebrate, with the college’s first nursing program marking its golden anniversary.

Fifty years ago, Alfred State welcomed its first incoming class of nursing students and the Allied Health building was under construction. Since then, it has been transformed into the modern Physical and Health Sciences building to meet the needs of today’s nursing students.

While much has changed for Alfred State nursing, the enthusiasm of students eager to help others, the dedication of faculty, and the building of relationships that last a lifetime, are all traits that have endured.

“We’re very proud of the program and the fact that we had an integral part in the beginning,” said past department chair Marilyn Lusk. “"Each generation of faculty has brought something new to the program that makes it special, and we meet graduates all the time who have achieved great things and are well respected by employers."

Speaking to the continued success of Alfred State nursing grads, past department chair Cynthie Luehman said, “So many of our graduates have far surpassed our level of expertise, and it’s just amazing when you hear what they’ve done. It’s humbling.”

Today, students utilize newer technology such as SimMan 3G manikins, new facilities such as the high-fidelity simulation labs, and have clinical experiences at hospitals in multiple locations in western New York and even Pennsylvania. They can also take one of five academic pathways to earning either an associate or a bachelor’s in nursing, including the online format for the bachelor’s program.

Margaret Brady was the first chair of the Nursing Department, serving from 1965 until 1970, while guiding the establishment of the program. Next, A. Donald Insley became the new chair, a position he would hold until 1982, when he returned to teaching until his retirement in the early 2000s.

Lusk then served as department chair from 1982 to 1996, when the first faculty reunion was held. Joining Lusk for the reunion this year were Luehman, who chaired the department from 1997 to 2008; current chair and nursing program graduate Linda Panter; former interim chair and faculty member Kathy Decker; as well as retired faculty Pam Jones, Mary Amphlett, Rosemary Fischer, Mary Smith, and Therese LeGro.

“One of the things that made us such a strong faculty was that when those of us who were new came, there were already people there who were really effective, hard-working, and very supportive of the students, so we had others to look up to as role models,” Smith said. “Then we ended up all staying for many years.”

Sadly, two beloved members of the reunion group, Loretta M. Smith and Joanne Daniels, passed away in the spring of 2016. The two of them had co-authored a book in 1987 titled “Clinical Calculations: A Unified Approach,” a dosage calculations textbook based on dimensional analysis that has now been used in nursing education for almost 30 years.

Lusk, who joined the faculty in 1971, has provided two deserving nursing graduates with a $200 Annual Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing for each of the past 13 years. She noted that she plans to increase the amount this year in honor of the program’s 50 years of graduating students.

Some very important aspects of Alfred State nursing have remained the same since its inception, such as the high academic standards, graduates who achieve great success, experienced and knowledgeable faculty, and a desire to assist the next generation of nurses.

In recognition of the nursing program’s 50^th anniversary, a celebration will take place Thursday, May 11, 2017. Updates will be posted on the Alumni Facebook page facebook.com/AlfredStateAlumni and the Nursing Facebook page facebook.com/AlfredStateNursing, with dinner and department tour details to follow.