EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – VICTORIA OLGUIN
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON FEB 2, 2023
During the challenging times of COVID-19, when health became of significant importance at a time when a deadly virus was highly contagious, many began to realize the importance of nurses and healthcare workers who remained working when the world was isolated. As hospitals became full, the realization that there was a shortage of staff in the nursing field became well-known. Too many full hospital beds quickly outnumbered nurses, and not everyone was able to receive the care they needed. With this in mind, St. Mary’s University now has the opportunity to tackle this challenge and shape the following nurses through the very new university nursing program. With federal appropriations of more than $5.5 million, St. Mary’s University has started constructing the Blank Sheppard Innovation Center, which will be home to the new university nursing program. While the first two floors will hold seven new laboratories specific for advanced manufacturing research and instruction, engineering, computing and related scientific disciplines, the third floor will be reserved for the planned Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
To make the program possible and successful, St. Mary’s searched for the university’s first Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing. The nationally competitive search involved multiple interview rounds, which included the Executive Council, Academic Council, chairs, program directors and staff leaders in the school of Science, Engineering and Technology, members from the board of trustees and the Search Committee. After the tedious process was conducted, the final candidate was announced to the St. Mary’s community on Nov. 21, 2022. Donna M. Badowski, DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE, is the new Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing for St. Mary’s University. Badowski remotely began her appointment on Jan. 9, 2023, and will start working in- person in June 2023. With an experience of 15 years of teaching nursing, St. Mary’s anticipates Badowski will lead the program to success. Additionally, Badowski has previously held experience as an Associate Professor and Associate Director of the RN to MS Nursing program at DePaul University in Chicago, having written the student handbook, program policies and program progression plans soon after the start of their program. In a similar way, Badowski will also help shape the nursing program at St. Mary’s University. The success of finding a Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing was possible due to the university focusing on finding a leader that aligned with the St. Mary’s Marianist charism and mission. It was this mission that also caught Badowski’s attention. “I was sent an email from a recruiting agency and decided to skim through the opportunities. I saw the position for Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing, which I found intriguing, and immediately investigated St. Mary’s website. The mission, Marianist and Catholic foundation, and sense of community I felt just reviewing the website prompted me to apply,” Badowski said.
Along with a great mission and Marianist values, Badowski appreciated the diversity found at St. Mary’s. She acknowledged that the diversity found at the university eould also help create diversity within the nursing field “It is my hope a nursing program from St. Mary’s will benefit the community by increasing diversity in the nursing workforce with a strong foundation of a faith-based liberal arts education, thereby improving safe quality care for patients. It is important for the nursing workforce to better align with the diversity of the population,” Badowski said. “The current nursing workforce is predominantly white female. St. Mary’s University, as a Hispanic-serving institution and enrolling a predominantly diverse student body, can make a significant impact on diversifying the nursing workforce. Additionally, I believe our nursing graduates will be more caring and empathetic providers with their education being grounded in a Catholic and Marianist charism with a strong liberal art foundation,” Badowski continued.
As Vice Dean and Founding Director of Nursing, Badowski wants to impact not only those interested in nursing but students of other majors and interests. “I see so many opportunities for interdisciplinary education with students from other majors such as the forensic science, environmental science, software engineering, data analytics, management, risk management, criminal justice, computer information systems, and communication. Students will benefit from learning among each other to better understand each role’s perspectives in improving the health and well-being of the population locally and globally. Additionally, I see the nursing students providing on-campus health fairs for students to promote the health of our students,” Badowski said.
Students in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology have already expressed interest and excitement over the new opportunities the nursing school will bring. “I believe a nursing school is necessary for St. Mary’s University because it adds a new career path for students that will aid in the growth of the university. Additionally, the nursing school will make the university much more appealing to prospective students seeking a career as a nurse,” sophomore biology and mathematics double major, Francisco Garcia said. “The nursing school interests me as a member of the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology because it is always exciting to have new facilities and resources available on campus. I particularly am interested in how the new nursing school will be of use to students who have a desire to go into healthcare, whether that be as a doctor, nurse, and so on,” Garcia continued.
The importance of nurses that was clear during the pandemic has made students and universities realize how much nurses do for the community. Through great values and a strong mission, St. Mary’s is preparing to shape nurses that will make a difference not only in San Antonio but throughout the country and beyond. “It is undeniable that COVID-19 makes the nursing school an invaluable new asset to the university. The pandemic showed us that in times of crisis, all healthcare workers are crucial to saving lives, and this new nursing school will undeniably help solve the nursing shortage in our country,” Garcia said.