As I enter my last few months as dean of the UF College of Nursing, I am struck by a sense of awe, excitement and sadness. I am in awe by how our college continues to come together as a community to do what is best for our students and alumni. You can see examples of how we have come together to achieve so much throughout each page of The Gator Nurse. I am also excited for the possibilities before us.The College of Nursing will be entering a new phase of what I know will be exemplary leadership under a new dean. And I will have the opportunity to focus on some of the things I love most—my family and my research. But, understandably, I am also experiencing some sorrow for stepping away from a position I have loved for the last 10 years. True, the last few of those have been fraught with anxiety and the unknown, but I am so proud of how we came through the pandemic stronger and more prepared to meet challenges head on.

Without getting ahead of myself, I want to focus this message on how our college continues to be a leader in some of the most important areas and opportunities available to nursing. As you can see in the cover story, our connections with the international community have grown throughout the years. We are now attracting students and faculty from all over the world, who provide unique perspectives and more opportunities to learn a depth of ideas that make us stronger clinicians, educators and scientists. Our alumni also represent an array of nationalities, starting with some of the earliest classes, like Myrna Courage (MN ’73), who came to the College of Nursing as a student from Canada and remained as a valued faculty member and administrator.

February was a very busy and exciting month for us. Our Rita Kobb Nursing and Health Informatics Symposium was, once again, a great success, with experts coming from across the country to address “Technology in Health Care to Reduce Burden and Enhance Workforce Well-being.” And the university’s fifth annual Gator Nation Giving Day was an incredible example of how Gator Nurses pay it forward through supporting their alma mater. I want to say a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has supported the College of Nursing now and in the future.

I hope to see as many of you as possible before the end of my tenure. I will continue to attend college and alumni events—including our Nursing Reunion on Sept. 16— and our fantastic continuing education opportunities like the Kobb Symposium and the Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Conference each spring.

I would love to hear from you. Please reach out to share your experiences as a Gator Nurse or your plans for the future. This is an exciting time, and I’m grateful to experience it together.

Anna M. McDaniel
Dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Chair