December 12, 2023
Nancy Meedzan, DNP directs new nursing program at Providence College
Nancy Meedzan, DNP has been busy since she started her new role as the chair of the Department of Nursing in Providence College’s new School of Nursing and Health Sciences in June.
She has been helping new faculty get oriented, assisting the first class of nursing students during their transition to college, and laying the groundwork for a top-tier nursing curriculum.
“Our focus is on the student experience and putting the student at the center of all that we develop,” Meedzan said.
The college’s nursing program is in a unique position, she said. Other nursing programs across the nation are grappling with adapting to new national accreditation standards. Instead of retrofitting an existing curriculum, the college is building its new nursing program based on these standards from the beginning. The curriculum, rooted in holistic growth and moral formation of students, emphasizes both the art and science of nursing. It also places emphasis on community/population health, addressing the many social determinants of health.
Meedzan believes that this proactive approach will be instrumental in preparing nursing students for the evolving practice settings, especially in a post-COVID world. “Academic nursing must evolve alongside our practice partners, aligning education with the ever-shifting healthcare landscape,” she said.
Experiential learning is another cornerstone of the program. Students will have the opportunity to volunteer not just within Providence, but also on regional, national, and international levels. Courses are already being offered in Puerto Rico and London, and one is being planned for Ghana.
Meedzan, the former dean of the Cummings School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, was inspired to become a nurse by her mother, who graduated from Saint Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing RN program in Providence in 1959. Through that program, her mother completed her science requirements at Providence College.
During Meedzan’s own college search, she looked for a Catholic nursing program and ultimately chose Boston College for its mission of academic excellence and commitment to truth and service. She spent her first year after college on what was then called the Burn and Trauma Unit at Rhode Island Hospital. She soon returned to Boston to rejoin her classmates on a cardiac surgical floor at Massachusetts General Hospital. She honed her skills in cardiac care, working across surgical, medical, and rehabilitation domains.
After Meedzan married and had children, the family moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts. This prompted a professional transition as well — she once again followed her mother’s footsteps, this time into community nursing. She also earned a master’s in nursing administration at Salem State University and began clinical teaching for Endicott College at Beverly Hospital.
It was there that she discovered her love for nursing education.
“It just clicked,” she said. “I said, ‘This is what I really want to do.’”
There’s a natural connection between nursing and teaching, Meedzan said.
“All nurses are educators,” she said, because nurses must educate patients and their families, ensuring they are well-informed and empowered.
In 2012, Meedzan earned a doctorate in nursing education at Regis College. Her research focused on the development of cultural competency in undergraduate nursing students. The topic stemmed from her personal experience.
Meedzan vividly recalls a transformative trip as an undergraduate in 1987. “My service trip to Haiti during my senior year at Boston College was a pivotal moment,” she said. “Being immersed in a different culture, witnessing firsthand the challenges and realities of that country, instilled in me a profound sense of cultural humility.”
She recognized the role cultural competency plays in the nursing curriculum. While she taught this concept in the classroom, she felt an essential element was missing. “We needed an immersive component,” she said.
Meedzan has facilitated student visits to locations such as South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mississippi. She believes these experiences mirror her own transformative journey in Haiti. Through these trips, students confront the stark health implications of extreme poverty.
“The experience that they have is exactly the one I had back in 1987,” Meedzan said. “You see the health impact of extreme poverty and then start to engage the nursing students in thinking about how we can address these issues and provide equitable healthcare to all.”
Meedzan’s innovative streak didn’t stop with experiential learning. She and a colleague also developed a master’s program in global health nursing, and when they could not find an appropriate textbook that viewed global health from a nursing perspective, they took matters ino their own hands. Her colleague said, “‘Well, we just have to write the textbook!’” Meedzan thought she was joking, but they went on to publish Global Health Nursing in the 21st Century in 2015 along with other co-editors.
Providence College’s mission deeply resonates with Meedzan. As a Catholic, Dominican institution with a robust foundation in the liberal arts, she believes it embodies the essence of what it means to educate nurses as true healers. “This mission aligns perfectly with molding nurses into leaders and change agents in healthcare,” she said. She envisions graduates from the program emerging as future trailblazers in nursing and healthcare.
Meedzan emphasizes the intellectual rigor of nursing. “So much of what a nurse does is from the shoulders up,” requiring deep knowledge of science and clinical judgment, Meedzan said.
She is confident that Providence College’s core curriculum will cultivate sharp thinkers who are attuned to the global context. “The blend of our core curriculum, specialized nursing courses, and exceptional clinical experiences will carve out a premier nursing program recognized both regionally and nationally,” she said. Meedzan draws inspiration from her students, their zest for learning, and their unwavering commitment to their studies, making her optimistic about the future of the nursing profession.
Meedzan believes the nurturing environment of Providence College, with its strong Catholic and Dominican heritage, will be a sanctuary for student nurses. As they grapple with the real-world scenarios during their clinical experiences, witnessing families and individuals in their most vulnerable states, the college community will offer them a safe place to process. “After a taxing day in the clinical setting, our nursing students will find solace in the PC community, finding the support they need to navigate the challenges they’ve encountered,” Meedzan said.
Outside the confines of academia and professional pursuits, Meedzan cherishes moments of leisure. Whether it’s enjoying the beach during summer, skiing in winter, or delving into a good book, she values her downtime. A healthy lifestyle is a priority, and she often kickstarts her day with exercise. Family is her anchor, and she enjoys spending time with her husband and their three grown daughters. Close-knit ties bind her with her extensive family in Rhode Island, including two of her siblings, her mother, and almost all of her 31 cousins.
