25/120 Anniversary

The School of Nursing is proud to celebrate 25 years since our establishment as a division of the university, in conjunction with 120 years of nursing education at Johns Hopkins. Our history goes back to 1889 and the Johns Hopkins Hospital nursing training program--the School of Nursing was established as a separate division in 1983 and opened its doors to the first class of students in 1984.

Share Your Stories

Share your outstanding Hopkins Nursing stories for upcoming celebrations of the anniversary and possible use in Johns Hopkins Nursing. Visit They Must Be Hopkins Nurses to submit your story online. Check out some of our stories below:

But, Patient, I Really Loved You!

I was leaving the hospital on a Friday afternoon this February, after having worked two days with the best patient ever! She was a tiny old lady from abroad (yes, I know where she's from, but I'm sure saying so violates a HIPPA thing). I had helped her take showers, I had suctioned her trach, I stuck her with needles, I gave her tube feedings. I hung out with her equally awesome older sisters, and taught her daughter how to do tube feedings and trach care at home. I had seriously bonded with this family.

So Friday afternoon rolls around, and I'm not going to see these people again. So with a room full of her extended family, I got a little emotional and thanked her for being such a wonderful patient and that I really enjoyed working with her, and it was awesome to see such involved loving family, blah blah blah...I mean, I really laid it on thick.

She weakly lifts her hand up to her throat and presses on her bandaging (as per doctors orders) to speak, and I'm thinking, "here it comes, she's going to say an emotional 'Thank You,' or she's going to tell me I'm the best that's ever been, or she's going to say how awesome of a nurse I'll be someday."

And literally I am holding back the tears of emotion...the entire room is silent...

and she says, softly in a hoarse voice, using ALL of her energy: "The trash in the bathroom is full"

... and this last hilarious impression she left with me simply solidifies her, in my mind, as the best patient ever.

--Renee Glisson, Accelerated '09

Gratitude for Hopkins "Takes My Breath Away"

My son was born with a congenital heart defect. Before the age of six, he had five heart surgeries and one of them was a Blalock-Taussig Shunt. After his first few surgeries, I knew I had to become a nurse and I knew I had to go to Hopkins.

My most memorable, "take my breath away" moment at Hopkins was when I walked through the hospital halls and saw the bigger-than-life, beautifully framed pictures of Dr. Alfred Blalock and Dr. Helen Taussig. I froze. I just stared, and then I cried. I couldn't help it. I told them "thank you" for giving their lives to medicine that helped saved my son's life.

My son, Michael, is now almost 18 and about to graduate high school. I know very personally that Hopkins touches lives. It is an honor to have walked through the same halls of some of the great minds of medicine.

--R. Monica Sanford, accelerated '97

Nothing Ruffled Her Feathers

I am a nurse in the adult emergency department (ED) at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. I had been working here for about five years when I was asked to sit in on an interview panel for a new assistant director of nursing (DON). I agreed to be a part of the session, thinking that it would be something to occupy my mind for at least 30 minutes.

In walked a tall (she has to be close to 6 feet), confident, experienced, clearly professional woman who answered all the relevant and even the irrelevant questions that were thrown at her. Nothing ruffled her feathers! As I predicted to all who would listen, Kathy DeRuggiero got the job.

The thing that has impressed me the most, second to her interview, was the fact that Kathy oriented to the floor, just like any other staff nurse. She had a preceptor, followed his schedule, and learned the ins and outs of working the adult ED. In my then 12 years of nursing experience, that was the first time I had ever seen a top administrator orient to the floor. It is still a WOW moment for me. I watched her from afar and told everyone who would listen, "things are about to change."

Kathy now serves as the DON for the adult ED. Under her leadership and with the help of her team, there has been significant change in the department. Staff satisfaction has improved, staffing guidelines have been changed, and processes have been revamped to improve out outcomes. I have been working on an improvement project with her and I am amazed at how her brain works. Her vision is wide and I sometimes leave the meetings thinking, "Well, I never thought of it that way." When she speaks, people listen. She is well-respected by the staff and the leadership group in emergency medicine. I have the ability to make her laugh, but when she turns her chair around, takes off the glasses, and looks at you....get yourself together and watch out - she is no joke!

--Sophia Walker