This past December, assistant professor and director of the Healthcare Administration program at the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies Lisa Sundean, PhD, MHA, RN was awarded the Josephine A. Dolan Award for Distinguished Service. Dr. Sundean accepted the award at the Certificate Entry into Nursing graduation ceremony at the University of Connecticut.

In her speech, Dr. Sundean said, "Service to humanity, deep service to the soul of humanity, is our obligation and it’s in the DNA of who we are as fellow nurses. My service generates from a deep sense of obligation to the nursing profession and to the wholeness of humanity. This is why I am dedicated to developing the science around nurses on boards, why I serve to develop and sustain the nursing workforce, and why I aim efforts to ensure policies supportive of nurses and healthy populations. Through our knowledge, skills, and expertise, we – all nurses - support the humanity and health of the world around us. After all: no nurses, no healthcare."

Dr. Sundean was recognized for her service as the founding board chair of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce and her contributions to the grant application resulting in the $35 million CT Health Horizons initiative to increase the nursing, social work, and mental health workforce in the state. She was also recognized for service with the national research team leadership with the Nurses on Boards Coalition.

Josephine A. Dolan, the first full-time nursing professor at the University Connecticut, gained recognition as a transformative figure, reshaping the perception and significance of nurses by leveraging historical evidence as a guide. The award is bestowed to alumni who have had distinguished service in the field. 

On the importance of service, Dr. Sundean said, "Persistence when you know something is right and good is always worth the effort. It’s not for recognition or fame or money. It’s because it is the right thing to do. You feel it in your soul. It is bigger than you. It is your contribution to humanity. It is your service. As nurses, we have opportunities to impact humanity in profound ways. Josephine Dolan knew this. And she knew that service to humanity through the nursing profession was a cause worth pursuing and preserving for all of us to build upon."

Learn more about Fairfield Egan at Fairfield.edu/egan.