Dean Louise Fitzpatrick honored as Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Alumna

Dr. Louise Fitzpatrick (center), Connelly Endowed Dean of Villanova
University College of Nursing, holds her Distinguished Alumna Award from
the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association. Joining her are fellow
School of Nursing alumnae, Dr. Martha Hill, dean of the School, and
Dr. Frances Keen, assistant dean of Villanova’s undergraduate
nursing program.

Dr. Fitzpatrick, a graduate of the School of Nursing, was recognized for the leadership and vision demonstrated in her career, cited as an inspiration and a source of great pride to Johns Hopkins. She has made distinct contributions as a nursing education leader through scholarly activities, creative interactions with students from diverse backgrounds and service as a role model for and mentor to junior faculty. Her innovative programs, unwavering high standards, and staunch support of nursing educators and students have led the College of Nursing at Villanova to its naming by the National League for Nursing as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. The College of Nursing’s growth and international prominence, and the successes of its faculty and alumni, are symbolic of her dedication to nursing education.

Dr. Fitzpatrick has made significant contributions to nursing. She chaired the American Nurses’ Association Cabinet on Nursing Education; the National League of Nursing’s Think Tank on Faculty Preparation; the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) International Studies Interest Group, where she also served on their Board of Directors; the Fellows Selection Committee of the American Academy of Nursing; and the Heritage Committee of Sigma Theta Tau International. Dr. Fitzpatrick has served on the board of the Pennsylvania Nurses Association, as vice president and board member of the American Association for the History of Nursing, as vice chair of the Advisory Board for the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, and as a board member of the Mercy Hospital System.

Dr. Fitzpatrick has received countless awards and honors. She is widely published and has given over 100 professional presentations nationally and internationally to various nursing, education, and health care audiences. Topics include nursing education, nursing history, public health nursing, and professional issues.

Describing her nursing education philosophy as a global one, Dr. Fitzpatrick has created opportunities for nursing students to work in a wide range of settings, from impoverished villages in Peru and Nicaragua, to a Native American community in Nevada, to England and Ireland. The exchange goes both ways: she has established strong ties with other countries including the Sultanate of Oman, welcoming students to Villanova’s College of Nursing.

Her nomination letter states “The nursing alumni believe that Louise Fitzpatrick typifies the Hopkins tradition of excellence, and that she has brought credit to the University by her professional achievements which have touched the lives of nurses and citizens throughout the world. Louise exemplifies the Hopkins ideal of leadership and excellence and rightly deserves to be awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award.”