Arizona State University

A new era in education began at ASU when the College of Nursing was founded half a century ago. In that time, the college has had five deans, each of whom made unique contributions to what the college is today.

Loretta Bardewyck, who passed away last year, served as the founding dean of the nursing program in 1957, a year before ASU itself became a university. She worked with a budget of about $22,000 that first year. Her salary was $9,000 while a beginning instructor made about $4,000 per year.

Retired faculty member Ellamae Branstetter was there from the beginning and remembers Bardewyck fondly.

“We didn’t have a lot of students, but we had enough to keep us busy,” Branstetter says.

Although the college was small at that time, Branstetter enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. Much of that feeling of cohesiveness was due to Bardewyck’s leadership.

“Students had confidence in Loretta,” Branstetter says. “People liked her.”

Students were eager to learn nursing skills, and they traveled to places such as Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital for clinical experience.

The nursing program grew through the years, and a master’s degree program that Branstetter developed came to fruition during her tenure. Native Americans also gained access to health care after Branstetter worked to secure a grant in 1977 that established an academic nursing center in Scottsdale – the first of its kind at a university in the country. There now are five nursing centers in the Valley.

Clinical associate professor Barbara Fargotstein started at ASU as a nursing student who graduated in 1969, and she worked with all five deans. As a student, Fargotstein remembers Bardewyck as instrumental in establishing the nursing program as a separate school from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After Bardewyck, Juanita Murphy joined the college as dean from 1971 to 1983. She focused on scholarship and research.

“She really set the stage for faculty to get their doctorates, conduct more research and gain additional funding,” Fargotstein says.

Janelle Kruger, dean from 1984 to 1992, promoted diversity by bringing minority students into nursing. The American Indian Students United in Nursing program began at ASU in 1990. Today, the College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation has 29.6 percent minority enrollment, a testimony of Krueger’s foresight.

Krueger was adept at reaching out to many different community advocates and partners.

“She was very effective at building partnerships,” says Mary Killeen, who started at ASU as a nursing student in 1975 and eventually went on to become a faculty member and associate dean for academic affairs.

Barbara Durand expanded the bachelor’s degree program and was able to bring the doctorate of nursing degree program to fruition during her years as dean from 1992 to 2004. The college also made U.S. News and World Report rankings during Durand’s tenure for the first time, with a ranking of No. 40 out of 365 master’s degree programs in the country. Rankings in later years would improve to the mid-30s.

Durand also worked to take nurses to the next level through a registered nurse to bachelor’s degree in nursing program, and she also strengthened the nurse practitioner programs.

Technological needs also were addressed with the addition of more computers and simulated patients – “manikins” with heart sounds, blood pressure, circulation and many other body vital signs. Simulation gives students the chance to prepare and receive the most benefit from clinical experiences, says Jean Stengel, retired director of student services, who managed the simulation center as one of her many duties.

Student experiences are among the most treasured remembrances of years past at the nursing college. Participating in the learning process and celebrating “Aha!” moments with students when a concept or practice finally makes sense – and watching as critical thinking skills blossom – are just a few memories that Fargotstein finds inspiring.

Now that the college is located at the Downtown Phoenix campus, it continues to grow and change under the leadership of its current dean, Bernadette Melnyk. Enrollment is double what it was five years ago with more than 1,840 students.

Melnyk has expanded nursing educational programs, increased research grants and developed new centers of excellence that focus on research areas such as evidenced-based practice, improving health outcomes for children, teens and families, conducting clinical trials to bring new health care products to market, and increasing geriatric nursing faculty. She also championed changing the name of the college to the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation to reflect its emphasis on innovation and interdisciplinary health care.

Melnyk joined two of the other nursing deans and community leaders to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary gala April 25 at the Arizona Biltmore.