After more than a year with an interim dean, the UNM College of Nursing has hired Nancy Ridenour to step in as dean by the spring semester.
Ridenour is an adult nurse practitioner and served as a congressional staff member. She was one of 19 applicants for the position.
John A. Pieper, head of the search committee, said Ridenour stood out in the applications and interviews.
"She had some very unique experience," said Pieper, dean of the College of Pharmacy. "She also had some very positive interpersonal skills, which resonated with the faculty, students, alumni and nurses in the community that felt this very good communication interaction with her."
Ridenour has served as dean at the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University, associate dean at Texas Tech University and assistant professor at the University of Colorado.
She said she has many ideas for improving UNM's College of Nursing, including finding a way to meet the state's nursing shortage.
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"It's a worldwide problem, but it's definitely a problem in New Mexico, and looking at what resources are in New Mexico ... we might work together to really plan and produce nurses and retain nurses in the state," Ridenour said.
Interim dean Karen Carlson said the shortage is a problem at the college and that there is nationwide pressure to increase the number of nursing students.
In response, she said the college has concentrated on recruiting faculty with senior ranks and expanding class and clinical space.
Carlson said the college has been able to attract well-qualified faculty because the Legislature helped provide for increased salaries.
"We've been successful in obtaining some of those resources, which has helped us start to solve the problem, but we just can't do it fast enough for the need in the country for nurses," Carlson said.
Nursing student Julia Pepping said Ridenour will have to address other problems at the college.
"There just needs to be more organization . with our requirements, within our classes and clinical hours," she said.
Nursing student Heather Davenport said the new dean should create more health- and illness-related classes for students, instead of requiring them to take leadership classes, which are now part of the curriculum.
Ridenour said she wants to encourage research in the college and use it as a tool to benefit Albuquerque.
"I'd also like to look at what are the needs in the community and how the college can help to meet those," she said. "So we'll want to meet a lot of the community folks and talk to people about what's going on and where they see the college being involved."
Pieper said the college is looking forward to new leadership.
"I think that the College of Nursing is very anxious to have a committed leader who can sort of train them together and help them prioritize their objectives for the future," he said. "They are really enthusiastic about welcoming a new leader who can identify resources in the programs they have."
