University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing

08/29/2026

Reed Lawson is an emerging leader at CU Anschutz Nursing. He started in the college’s two-year BSN program in June, after taking prerequisites at Community College of Aurora. In only a few weeks, Reed has worked to organize social events, make connections, and form study groups for his classmates. He even creates practice tests for his classmates before exams! He says this is just the start of his goal to form a welcoming community with his peers.

Read the article to learn more about Reed!

CU Anschutz College of Nursing accelerated BSN student Reed Lawson came back to school later in life and has become a strong leader on campus.

08/27/2026

What does it really mean for a new nurse to be "practice ready"? A recently published study, led by CU Anschutz Nursing’s Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science, Dr. Fara Bowler, found that nursing educators and healthcare employers don't always agree on which clinical skills new graduates should master before entering practice. The research identified 95 essential skills and aims to strengthen alignment between nursing education and real-world healthcare expectations, helping nurses transition safely and confidently into patient care roles.

Learn more here:

New research identifies essential nursing skills and helps align nursing education with clinical practice, preparing graduates for safe patient care.

08/27/2026

This month, we’re honored to highlight Lola Fehr, whose long history of leadership within Colorado’s nursing community has helped shape the Foundation from its earliest days.

Lola has contributed to the organization in countless ways, including her work on the original planning committee for what is now the Excellence Awards program. Her deep commitment to nonprofit nursing organizations continues to guide her service, and she remains energized by the ideas and momentum emerging from newer board members.

We’re grateful for her steady presence, her passion for advancing nursing, and the perspective she brings to our Board!
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08/27/2026

Are you ready for your night shifts?🌛 Night shifts can be an opportunity to practice skills during a new clinical perspective. Here are some preparation tips from BSN student Madeleine!

🏡Communicate your schedule with roommates
💤Find sleep methods that work for you
👕Bring layers to stay warm
🍎Pack snacks and stay hydrated to keep you going

08/27/2026

Are you ready for your night shifts?🌛 Night shifts can be an opportunity to practice skills during a new clinical perspective. Here are some preparation tips from BSN student Madeleine! 
 
🏡Communicate your schedule with roommates
💤Find sleep methods that work for you
👕Bring layers to stay warm
🍎Pack snacks and stay hydrated to keep you going

08/25/2026

💫 Meet our August Preceptor of the Month, Courtney Hill! 💫

Courtney has been precepting our psychiatric mental health NP students for more than three years at Alder Grove Wellness Group. At our Preceptor Excellence Event last year, she was nominated for the Above and Beyond award by college faculty for her strong clinical knowledge and passion for teaching. She goes above and beyond by taking students for extra clinical hours, while providing constructive feedback, fostering critical thinking, and promoting quality patient care.

Courtney says the most rewarding part of precepting is seeing students’ confidence grow as they step into a provider role and begin to trust their clinical judgment. “I love seeing the shift from textbook knowledge to real-world application, where they start integrating critical thinking, clinical nuance, and genuine connection. Seeing them engage meaningfully with patients and develop their own style as thoughtful, compassionate providers is one of the most fulfilling parts of the experience.”

Courtney is also an Osteosarcoma survivor and received treatment at CU Anschutz. She’s been NED (no evidence of disease) for five years!

Thank you, Courtney, for being a wonderful preceptor and sharing your nursing expertise with our students! ❤️

08/25/2026

Dr. Shu-Yi Wang believes cultural awareness and global perspectives are vital to the nursing profession. That’s why she started the MENTOR Virtual Exchange Program. Our nursing students get the opportunity to meet and talk with nursing students in Taiwan on Zoom.

During these conversations students gain new perspectives and learn just how universal nursing can be.

“This experience showed how individuals from two countries can come together and find ways to communicate a shared mental model to improve patient care; truly a beautiful thing,” says AG-CNS student, Andrea Hillard.

Read the article to learn more about the program and to hear directly from Dr. Wang.

The MENTOR Virtual Exchange program gives CU Anschutz College of Nursing students an opportunity to connect with nursing students in Taiwan.

08/21/2026

🎉 While we celebrated our graduates (now alumni!) earlier this week, we’re not forgetting our new BSN students! We held our Call to Care ceremony for our most recent accelerated BSN class, which started classes earlier this month. During the Call to Care ceremony, everyone received nursing pins, which symbolize their commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care. We’re excited to see where their nursing journeys take them, and we’re proud to call them future CU Anschutz nurses. 💕

08/21/2026

Meet the inaugural class of our new Master of Science in Midwifery program! They officially started classes in June on their journey to becoming certified midwives. The program doesn’t require a nursing degree. It prepares students to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period, just like the college’s MS in Nurse-Midwifery program.

Learn why these students chose to become certified midwives, and how they hope to improve care for women and their families.

CU Anschutz College of Nursing added a new Master of Science in Midwifery (MSM) program. The program prepares students to become certified midwives (CMs).

08/19/2026

Snapshots from graduation day 🎓📸 Congrats to all of the College of Nursing graduates!